For those of you looking for a reason for the recent shift in consumer sentiment from Target (TGT) to Wal-Mart (WMT), here is a big one.
So, the kids had a birthday recently and true to form, we had a party for their friends at school and one for family. In short, lots of very nice gifts. That being said, the odds of not getting a gift that you may already have or having every piece of clothing fit right is well, very, very low.
So we got an item of clothing that did not fit just right and I made the trip to Target Sunday to exchange them for a pair that fit better because they were great and the kids loved them. I did not try to return them for cash, but to simply exchange them for another pair. Simple, right???? Not so fast…
It would seem that I have had the audacity to be there twice in the 12 months without a receipt to return items. Apparently once I have done this, I am not allowed any more!! I have been “blacklisted” at Target..
Now, I have three kids and a wife. That means 6 kids birthdays (one school and one family for each), two parents birthdays, a fathers day and a mothers day, Easter, and Christmas etc… What are the odds that for every one of those events every gift will not be a duplicate and have a receipt and fit properly?
Wondering of this was a retailing trend, I drove across the street to the Wal-Mart. I took the clothing in and asked the question, “I have no receipt for these, can I exchange them?”. I was told with a license I could but for store credit only. No problem, that was all I wanted. Now, here comes the big one.
“How many times can I do this?” I asked.
“What do you mean?”, the girl asked?
“Is there a limit?” I said
“Oh”, she giggled, “were you just at Target?”.
I replied yes and she said that she gets people complaining all the time about Target’s policy. I was informed that if my “returns” were excessive “like once a week” it would get flagged but other than that, no limit. I know this is true because I have been there to do an exchange several times in the past year.
So, why would I shop at Target now? If I lose the receipt (or do not get one in the case of a gift) and have to return an item, I am stuck. I cannot be the only person looking at this scenario saying to myself, see ya’ later Target. I am also more than sure countless other people have run into the same situation. Here is the best part. I asked the girl “when am I off probation?” and she could not tell me. The system just has me blocked out.
Could there me a more misguided policy? I mean really…. I just will not shop there anymore for us OR for presents for the dozens or birthday parties and countless Christmas gifts we buy for other people. If I buy something for someone, I want them to be able the enjoy it. If I want aspirin, I may go there but if it is clothing or any item I am not 100% sure of its accuracy, no way.
Quick phone calls to Sears (SHLD), Kmart (SHLD),Kohl’s (KSS), Home Depot (HD), Lowe’s (LOW) and JC Penny (JCP) revealed no “two return” policy according to the folks I spoke too.
Target has said recently that apparel sales, once its strength have weakened. If they are looking for an answer, they now have it.
Oh yea.. while at Wal-Mart we bought the “Floor Mate” cleaner we have been wanting, Doritos for the hockey game today and hamster bedding for “Digger” the schools hamster we babysat over winter break. The total bill? $145 that would have gone to Target has they just exchanged $5 worth of clothing. Insane. Add this to the additional sales they will not see this year because of this return policy and is it any wonder they are suffering?
Target releases earnings Tuesday, lets see if the negative trend continues…
Disclosure (“none” means no position):Long Wal-Mart, None
5 replies on “Target Pushing Customers Away”
I can see your frustration, but it should be from being so short-sighted, not from being inconvenienced. Let’s look at a couple things Target does to help you to begin with. Receipt lookup: Available on everything except cash to find your own receipts for you. Printing out gift receipts for practically every single transaction, every day. It’s peoples responsibility to keep their own receipts and to give gift receipts. Target allows a couple “oops, I’m sorry…” incidents but on one hand you’re going to try to get down on Target for low stock prices, then you’re going to harass Target when they do something to up their bottom line and eliminate a huge source for loss, return scams.
Way to look at the big picture. Also, next time you’re at any other retailer, ie Walmart, look at their written return policy. Uncannily similar to Target, just completely unenforced.
anon,
all retailers do the things you mentioned.
none, have as strict a return policy. all retailers track returns to catch fraud. that being said, my action was to “exchange” not “return”.
Target has to go through the system be it a return or exchange and without a reciept, charge, debtit card or check payment, one cannot look up the purchase…it is still inventory and has to be accounted for….one returned, one exchanged…Target cannot and will never do an “exchange” without going through the return system….
Personally, I sometimes don’t think it is strict enough on their return policy when it comes to habitual returners or exchangers…
retail also tracks return and exchanges for the same reason…FRAUD…crime hurts us all in the end.
anon,
three returns in a 12 month period could hardly qualify for “fraud” under anyone definition.
the results of the policy is people will buy less of the items that tend to be returned, clothing….
it is by far the most restrictive return policy in the business currently
results are showing that
What about when Target doesn’t provide a gift receipt? I bought items through a co-worker’s online registry and they did not arrive with gift receipts. Also, Target did not properly update her registry, so she wound up with duplicate items that she cannot return. What about that, Anonymous #1?