Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Couponing 101 – Target Store Guide

There are many ways to save and even earn money while shopping at Target.

Lets start with a few important points from the Target Coupon Policy: Print the policy and keep it in your coupon binder.

Manufacturer and Target Coupons:

-You can use Manufacturer coupons at Target. These can also be stacked with Target Store coupons found in newspaper inserts, online at Target.com, Target mailers and as mobile coupons.

-Target accepts one Manufacturer Coupon and one Target Coupon for the same item (unless prohibited by either coupon)

-Item purchased must match the coupon description (brand, size, quantity, color, flavor, etc.).

-Coupon amount may be reduced if it exceeds the value of the item after other discounts or coupons are applied.

-Target will not give cash back if the face value of a coupon is greater than the purchase value of the item.

Internet (Print-at-Home) Coupons:

-Target does not accept internet coupons for free items with no purchase requirements

Mobile Coupons:

-Guests can receive Target Mobile Coupons by signing up for Text Alerts at Target.com/mobile or by texting COUPONS to 827438 (TARGET).

-Target Cartwheel offers are also available on the Cartwheel App

-Shopkicks offers are also available through App.

-To redeem, simply show your coupon barcode to the cashier. With one simple scan, all applicable coupons are applied.

Buy One Get One Free Coupons (BOGO):

-BOGO coupons cannot be combined (i.e. you cannot use two BOGO coupons on two items and get both for free). Unless stated otherwise on the coupon, the use of one Buy One Get One Free coupon requires that two of the valid items are presented at checkout of which one item will be charged to the guest and the 2nd item will be discounted by its full retail price.

-A second cents-off coupon of the same type cannot be redeemed towards the purchase price of the first item.

-If a Target BOGO coupon is used, one additional manufacturer coupon maybe used on the first item.

-If a Manufacturer BOGO coupon is used, one additional Target coupon may be used on the first item.

Target Red Card – you can save 5% on your purchase with the Target Debit or Credit Card

Price Matching: Target does match competitor’s prices – go here for the policy

-Always go to the Customer Service Desk to do all price matches

-Pricing for products on Target.com may vary from Target stores and from the Target Weekly Ad. They do not match the price of online merchandise with the price offered by Target stores or another company, and Target stores do not match the price of our online merchandise.

-You need to bring in the competitors advertisement to prove the items description and price for the match.

-When Price Matching – Manufacturer coupons will be applied after the price match is made.

-Target coupons will be applied before the price match is made. If the competitor price is still lower than the price after the Target coupon has been deducted, the ad match can be adjusted to match the competitor’s price.

Exclusions:

-Target will not accept coupons from other retailers, or coupons for products not carried in our stores.

Here are a few pointers:

-Always go to the Customer Service Desk to do all price matches

-Pricing for products on Target.com may vary from Target stores and from the Target Weekly Ad. They do not match the price of online merchandise with the price offered by Target stores or another company, and Target stores do not match the price of our online merchandise.

-You need to bring in the competitors advertisement to prove the items description and price for the match.

A few signs that you will want to look for when shopping at Target:

-Sale

A temporary price reduction advertised Sunday-Saturday and lasting up to 2 weeks.

-Temporary Price Cut

A temporary price reduction lasting 1-8 weeks.

-Price Cut

A permanent price reduction advertised for up to 90 days.

PLUS keep an eye on the weekly markdowns: below is the Unofficial Markdown Schedule:

-Monday:
Baby items, children’s clothing, electronics, gift wrap, stationery and office supplies

-Tuesday:
Home décor, domestic items and women’s clothing

-Wednesday:
Food, health and beauty products, men’s clothing, toys, and garden products

-Thursday:
Lingerie, housewares, sporting goods, shoes, and luggage

-Friday:
Cosmetics, jewelry, hardware, automotive, and home improvement

If you are watching an item and see that it has been marked down 30% or 50%, come back in another two weeks to see if it has been marked down further.

Clearance
A permanent price reduction often on discontinued inventory. Clearance prices are good while supplies last.

Reading Clearance Tags:

-15%: When an item goes on clearance at Target, the first markdown is usually 15%. To find out the mark down look at the upper right hand corner of the red clearance tag. If you see the number 15, it is marked down 15%. The last digit of the item will mainly end in the numbers 6 or 8. Example: $5.78.

-30%, 50%, 70% and 90%: If you look closely at the red clearance tag, you might notice the higher percentage off.

-Price Tags Ending With $0.06 or $0.08: If the price of the item on clearance ends in $0.06 or $0.08, the item will be marked down again during the next markdown cycle as long as there is inventory in the store. The item typically will remain at the next percentage off for two weeks before moving to a higher percentage off.

-Price Tags Ending With $0.04: If the last number in the price of the item ends in $0.04, the item has been marked for final clearance, and this is the lowest price that Target will sell the item.

-Seasonal Clearance merchandise such as holiday, back-to-school, and summer items are examples of these clearance products. Many of these are holiday branded and will be reduced at a much faster rate than the typical two-week increment because Target needs the space for new inventory. Often the products begin at 50% off, then are reduced to 70% off, and continue on up to 90% off within two weeks.

Another way to save when when shopping at Target is to take your own bag. You will receive $.05 per bag that you use and you will be helping the environment at the same time.

As with anything, “practice makes perfect” so don’t be discouraged if you make a few mistakes. Sooner than later you will be a pro!

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