I could go on and on about how much I love Target. It is simply my happy place. My home away from home. My escape. My first true love. When I have no one to depend on, I depend on Target. Here are just a few small reasons why.
To start, Target is clean. It’s white, it’s bright, it smells good and I just feel content strolling through such a pristine place. It could be completely dark outside, storming and disgusting, and as soon as I walk into Target, my spirits are lifted. The bright white lights radiate happiness and the crisp organization is enough to ease any stress I have. I also think they hire little secretive elves to walk behind me and clean my muddy shoe tracks and any fingerprints off the mirrors. (Still waiting for confirmation on this.) Whatever they do to keep it so clean and beautiful, I would like to do for my own apartment.
Target has its own app called Cartwheel and it makes shopping a game, a “save-as-much-money-as-I-can” competition with myself. It’s known that men are born competitors, but when it comes to shopping and getting a good deal, women trump all. I’m skipping around the store with my IPhone scanning every product in my cart until I'm notified that I saved even 5 percent, and then I proceed to nearly scream in joy. Oh my gosh—20 cents off! Then, I arrive at the checkout and the checkout man says, “Do you have any coupons, Cartwheel or gift cards to use today?” and I say, “Why, yes, sir, I have all of the above. Bow down to me. I am the savings princess.”
Another great reason I am in love with Target is that in the bigger stores there’s a Starbucks conveniently located five steps into the main entrance. We all know what this means. I grab my nonfat, no whip, iced white chocolate mocha, throw it in my bright red cart and parade around my own personal fairytale. Sip, throw shoes in the cart, sip, grab that rug at 50 percent off, sip, sip, smile and enjoy life.
Virtually anywhere you go, Target is consistent, and that’s what makes it my home away from home. The end caps opposite of the main walkway with bright red 30 percent off signs, the area perpendicular to the salty food section that has home goods on sale, the dressing rooms with the random, tiny cylinder chairs—they’re all the same. Not kidding: When I was homesick after I first moved away from my hometown, I would head down the highway to the local Target. The red and white building practically screams, “Welcome home!”
Target brand food, called Market Pantry, beats out many name brand foods. It is that good, people. The sparkling water, fruit snacks, crackers and basically everything else Market Pantry is above average. It’s cheap, and it’s even cheaper if you use Cartwheel. It is a double win for Target shoppers everywhere.
To end on the best note, have you seen those advertisements? Same-sex parents, children with disabilities, racially diverse families, un-retouched women in swimsuits, and human beings with tattoos—Target is going above and beyond to include all walks of life in their ads. This makes me not only want to shop there more, but it makes me want to hug Target as a whole, maybe even the person bagging my groceries. Thank you for making all people feel accepted, checkout man. I love you.
Maybe my love for a store is unethical; I can see where that might come to mind. On the other hand, I’ve always been told to be passionate about the things I love, so here I am. Stay hip, Target.
