I've been a fan of this Target since it was first built as a "Greatland" store. It has since been remodeled to a larger than average regular Target after Target discontinued the use of the "Greatland" designation. I generally can find nearly everything I need here from a discount department store without having to sully myself and go across the street to Mal*Wart.
The clothing lines in men's shirts are pretty decent. I like the Merona shirts. I wish they stocked Wrangler jeans in more sizes though; one of the things I have to go to Mal*Wart for. I haven't been impressed with their undergarments and socks since they changed suppliers to Fruit of the Loom several years ago.
I love to cruise the clearance end-caps, and I often find really cool stuff at a blow-out price. A few months ago, I found Mag-Lite LED conversion kits (the real deal) at half-off.
The health and beauty section is a terrific way to stock up on those items you need, and you can often find in-store monthly unadvertised specials that miss the weekly circular. This my favorite place to do "stock up time" for those items that you always run out of at 6 AM like shampoo and body wash.
The smallish mini-grocery section is neat, but it doesn't carry everything and often not the brands I buy in an item, so I don't make much use of it. I haven't found the house-brand "Market Pantry" bread to be very fresh or very good, so I usually skip it.
Target always has great seasonal sections, and catching deals as they clear out for the next season is somewhat of an art form. You'll catch me here after Christmas and at the end of summer scoring deals for the next year's deeds.
I wish they had expanded this store into a Super Target. I asked a team member once why they didn't, and they claimed that the City of Austin wouldn't let them due to inadequate parking. Funny, the City let the Mal*Wart across the street do it, after they dozed their tree islands down. And obviously it wasn't an impervious cover issue. It's a real shame because this former Greatland store has enough square footage to probably pull it off.
I've had only one really negative experience in this store, and it was a doozy, but I don't hold it against them for more than one star. A few years ago, early on a lazy Sunday morning, I decided to browse the store. I picked up several handy, small items put them in the shopping cart, and needed to research a few others (for example, ensure I got the right cigarette lighter adapter for my phone). Apparently this raised the suspicion of store security, who then proceeded to watch me in other departments, including garden/patio, and health and beauty. I had thoughts of abandoning my cart mid-store in retaliation for their cloak-and-dagger tactics, but I figured I'd make myself more suspicious. Also, I figured I could have a helluva lot more impact by buying the things I'd worked so hard to find, and then raising cane.
I mentioned my concern to the cashier, who directed me to the team leader (at my request). I told the manager-on-duty "Rachael" how I felt about the experience. The security guard came out of his office as I was speaking with the manager, and denied that he was following me around the store. He claimed he was on a "routine perimeter check", but also confirmed he had inspected my basket. Although she offered a feeble apology, the best explanation Rachael could offer me was that "We watch all of our customers" (I'm still unclear how that statement was intended to make me feel better about my shopping experience).
That's, OK, a nice e-mail to Target's HQ took care of the rest of the customer relation aspects that the team leader failed to address. While the manager's response was disappointing, I blamed the overzealous rent-a-cop more than anyone else. Although I avoided this store like the plague for several weeks, I didn't see him there subsequently. That probably means very little as rent-a-cops turn over frequently.
In summary, a great place to shop and save in Southwest Austin without subjugating yourselves to the righteous indignations of Mal*Wart. read more