Target Price Match Policy

[sjhapke]

Target Will Match Prices of Amazon, Walmart.com, Other Online Retailers Year-Round
By Matt Brownell | January 8, 2013

Target (TGT) announced a bold new program Tuesday morning, promising to match the prices found on online retail competitors including Amazon.com (AMZN) and Walmart.com (WMT). The new policy is similar to the one Target implemented during the 2012 holiday shopping season, but now, it will operate year-round.

Mark Schindele, Target's senior vice president of merchandising operations, explained in a blog post that Target received such positive feedback on the holiday price match policy, it decided to make it permanent.

Under the new policy, customers will get a price-match if they can provide proof of a lower price at Amazon.com, Walmart.com, ToysRUs.com, BabiesRUs.com or BestBuy.com. They can also score a retroactive price-match if they bring in proof of a lower price (and their receipt) within 7 days of their purchase. Target will also price-match its own website, as well as any deals you later find in the following week's weekly ad. And shoppers using Target's REDcard can still get their 5% discount on top of the price match.

The policy outlines a few exclusions: Stores won't price-match third-party vendors on these sites, such as Amazon's "marketplace" sellers. Target stores in Alaska and Hawaii won't be participating. And online prices that can only be had through clearance sales or percentage-off promotions are ineligible for the price-match policy. Target will, however, continue to price-match local retail competitors.

As we noted when Target and Best Buy (BBY) announced their online price-match policies during the holiday shopping season, the move seems aimed at the growing ranks of "showroomers" -- shoppers who browse and try out products in stores, then buy those products at lower prices online. By offering to match the prices customers find on their smartphones, Target can avoid losing those sales.

The downside is that Target will see its profit margins shrink on price-matched sales. Even Amazon, with its comparatively low overhead, is having trouble turning a profit while maintaining its current low prices and slim margins. If legions of shoppers come into Target asking associates to price-match Amazon, then the retailer will likewise feel the pinch.

But after a disappointing holiday season, Target is evidently willing to tighten its margins if it means retaining customers who would otherwise be lost to the online retail machine.

http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/01/08/ ... owrooming/

[Brickbuilder0937]

Wow, price match their own website, that's awesome. I hope other retailers follow it their footsteps.

[Brickmythic]

awesome news!

[The-Daryl]

I love that they are matching Amazon year round.

Starting February 1st, Amazon is charging my state sales tax... So it makes it a no brainer to just shop anything they have in stock at Target, no waiting on shipping or chance of damages/lost packages and the 5% Red Card bonus to boot.

[francis_crowe]

Don't forget to weigh the risk of getting duped by those crafty thieves who open boxes only to replace them with garbage. I was recently taken in by what appeared to the well trained eye a factory fresh seal of a Dino set I found on the shelf at my local Target. It even sounded like it had the right amount of pieces. I opened it with my daughter the following day only to find plastic beads from a few necklaces and some used megabloks. The incident has me worried about the MF zombie sets I have in storage that I picked up factory sealed from a few different Targets.

[Brickmythic]

My Target just matched the discounted price for Legends of Chima Cragger's Command Ship found on amazon. Red card savings of 5% off also stacked! $72 was the total cost after tax.

Also guys, most targets have restocked. keep an eye out for amazon deals on new Lego!

Current good price matches (via amazon) i found:

Lego Chima Cragger's Command Ship 72.13
Lego Chima Laval Royal Fighter 33.75
Lego Star Wars Desert Skiff $19.99
Lego Star Wars Rancor Pit $56.44
Lego Hobbit Goblin King Battle $79.99

[brickarmor]

Yep, picked up Cragger's ship also. Still no Hobbit to be seen.

And by the way, most employees don't know this yet. I had to go through two customer service clerks who told me no and get the manager to approve. My iPad was being really slow pulling anything up and they couldn't find their's!

[Brickmythic]

Lego Chima Wakz Pack Tracker now 24.99 on amazon.com.

21% discount total with red card.

I'll definitely be picking one of these up tomorrow too. Even though none of the figures are exclusive to the set, 2 of the 3 figures have shoulder/torso armor and chi weapons which makes the price per figure excellent!

(Chima figures (especially those with chi weapons and shoulder/torso armor) are slightly more expensive to produce.

[ninjagoyo]

Don't forget to weigh the risk of getting duped by those crafty thieves who open boxes only to replace them with garbage. I was recently taken in by what appeared to the well trained eye a factory fresh seal of a Dino set I found on the shelf at my local Target. It even sounded like it had the right amount of pieces. I opened it with my daughter the following day only to find plastic beads from a few necklaces and some used megabloks. The incident has me worried about the MF zombie sets I have in storage that I picked up factory sealed from a few different Targets.

I inspect boxes with extreme care, and yet a few days after Christmas I came home with a Jay's Storm Fighter that was MINT in appearance, yet contained two sealed bags from totally different, current sets (Fangpyre Truck and UrukHai ARmy I think) with a piece count very similar to the actual set, so the weight and shake sound were indistinguishable. The seals looked totally factory, tight and smooth. Since it had been 50% off and the substitute pieces happened to be pretty good ones, still in plastic, I didn't bother returning it.
I have no idea how this job was done or why (it's not like Jay's has any super valuable minifig in it), but it has made me paranoid since I often sit on sets a long time without opening them.

[Brickmythic]

This works if you have multiple copies of the same product (but not so much if you are just buying one):

Buy a digital postal scale and weigh the all of the lego sets, If the quantity of any one box is less or more by at least an ounce, the box is usually tampered with.

There are a few exceptions such as differently packaged bags but they are rare.

This holiday season we bought a Temple of Light from TRU that weighed 4 ounces less than the other 2.
Shelby shipped it without thinking, and the unfortunate customers out west opened it right before christmas to discover the figures and new swords were taken and bags carefully cut open with exacto and resealed!
She said the tape looked sealed, so believe it or not, when we got the package back, what we discovered is the thief used an exacto knife to slice into the factory sealed side of the package!

Thankfully TRU was able to let us exchange it and I was able to find another Temple of Light for the kind customer on Christmas eve at like 3 AM in Hagerstown, MD!

In our near decade of doing this, we've only come across 3-5 tampered factory seals or missing contents of a set out of thousands upon thousands in our inventory.

For older retired factory sealed sets the tape is actually easy to slowly peel off then reseal. In cooler, slightly humid storage (such as Northeast/northwest USA)the older tape will simply peel right off if you are careful and you can check the contents of sets before shipping them out and 'reseal' them.

For the most part people are honest, but I strongly suggest checking seals and weight really quick. We've found that 99 times out of 100, the tape or package that looks beat up or tapmered with still has 100% of its contents carefully tucked inside!

[ninjagoyo]

This Target pricematch policy is insane.Already worked it twice, went very smooth. It's going to slash my Amazon purchases. I guess this is Target's atttempt to deathpunch Amazon now that Amazon's reeling from its stupid sales tax surrender.

[exciter1]

Is this primarily only a better deal for those who have to pay sales tax at Amazon?

[SpaceViking]

I just tried out the new price match policy at my local target for the first time... matching the Heartlake Stable and Monster Fighter prices currently on walmart.com. It was like a personal 30% off sale! The 5% red-card savings nearly matches the sales tax. And, I saved $9 in shipping, since neither set was matched on amazon.com (yet)! end cost was $60 and change for $90 MSRP. very fun.

[dulait]

Don't forget to weigh the risk of getting duped by those crafty thieves who open boxes only to replace them with garbage. I was recently taken in by what appeared to the well trained eye a factory fresh seal of a Dino set I found on the shelf at my local Target. It even sounded like it had the right amount of pieces. I opened it with my daughter the following day only to find plastic beads from a few necklaces and some used megabloks. The incident has me worried about the MF zombie sets I have in storage that I picked up factory sealed from a few different Targets.

Don't forget to weigh the risk of getting duped by those crafty thieves who open boxes only to replace them with garbage. I was recently taken in by what appeared to the well trained eye a factory fresh seal of a Dino set I found on the shelf at my local Target. It even sounded like it had the right amount of pieces. I opened it with my daughter the following day only to find plastic beads from a few necklaces and some used megabloks. The incident has me worried about the MF zombie sets I have in storage that I picked up factory sealed from a few different Targets.

I inspect boxes with extreme care, and yet a few days after Christmas I came home with a Jay's Storm Fighter that was MINT in appearance, yet contained two sealed bags from totally different, current sets (Fangpyre Truck and UrukHai ARmy I think) with a piece count very similar to the actual set, so the weight and shake sound were indistinguishable. The seals looked totally factory, tight and smooth. Since it had been 50% off and the substitute pieces happened to be pretty good ones, still in plastic, I didn't bother returning it.
I have no idea how this job was done or why (it's not like Jay's has any super valuable minifig in it), but it has made me paranoid since I often sit on sets a long time without opening them.

This happened at a local Walmart today. Saw someone brought in a box saying that it was sealed at time of purchase, but the box turned out two bags short. Scary since I remembered reading somewhere that there is a method on removing the seal and putting it back on without much problems. Thought it was a myth or some rare case this could happen at a local retailer, but it seems that this have happened more frenquently lately. Hope Lego will look into this soon, since no one like to be surprised when they open their lego sets other than when they have those chrom darth vader promo a few years back.

Back on topic, wonder if the policy applies to Target Canada.

[Strictly.Rollers]

This is a bit off target. Would anyone know what polybags are offered in Target these days. I live abroad and would like to have someone pick them up. Just not sure what is being offered currently.

[drtabo]

This is a bit off target.

I see what you did there!

[brickarmor]

This is a bit off target. Would anyone know what polybags are offered in Target these days. I live abroad and would like to have someone pick them up. Just not sure what is being offered currently.

Mostly Winzars Pack Racer and Friends Ice Cream Stand, sometimes Picnic.

[vexxet]

This is funny, target twice told me they dont price match their own website in the last two days. I wonder who I take this info to as im quite pissed.

[atmail35]

This is a bit off target. Would anyone know what polybags are offered in Target these days. I live abroad and would like to have someone pick them up. Just not sure what is being offered currently.

At the registers I have seen City 30151 and 30152. SW 30053 Venator Class Republic Attack Cruiser (which seems old and hanging around so YMMV). I saw another SW one, but I can't recall the bag #.

The Friends were part of Easter/Valentines and may no longer be at all Targets, same for the Chima.

[bobl]

vexxet...are you located in a major city? I read part of Target's price match policy on their site. There is something called a city Target or city store or something like that. Whatever it is, the policy pretty much states that they do not price match.