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Target's turnaround story has been everywhere lately, with new leadership talking about rebuilding trust and billions going into remodels. But that's not the Target most of us actually experience on a Tuesday afternoon run for cat litter and birthday cards.
The smaller stuff adds up: empty shelf tags, longer lines, cases you need an employee to unlock. Some of it Target has owned up to. Some is just what shoppers keep saying out loud. Before your next trip, it helps to check out these Target shopping hacks and know what you're walking into.
Here are 9 Target problems to know before your next trip.
Editor's note: Policies may change and can vary by location.
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Empty shelves and messy aisles
You go in for one specific item — the shelf tag is there, but the product isn't. That's not just bad luck. In one analysis, 43% of Target customers gave the chain a favorable rating on item availability, compared with 47% for its retail peers. Stock consistency was the top complaint among unhappy shoppers.
A separate retail analysis put Target's stockout complaint rate at 6.6%, ahead of Amazon and Sam's Club at 4% each and Walmart at 2%. Former employees have tied the gaps to leaner staffing. If a shelf looks picked over, check the Target app for stock at a nearby store before you drive there.
Missing price tags
Grabbing a shirt off the rack and finding no price on the tag has become a real complaint, with shoppers posting photos of blank tags on shirts and jeans. Workers said that starting in September they were told to pull prices from tags, and one suggested on social media that it lets prices move without staff knowing.
Target also ended the price-match guarantee it launched in 2013 to compete with Walmart and Amazon, though its own price matching remains available. Separate reports tied tag removals at both Target and Walmart to tariff-driven repricing. Walmart acknowledged a labeling change; Target didn't address the tag reports directly, pointing only to its promise of being "priced right daily." Snap a photo of a tag before it disappears.
Long checkout lines
Self-checkout used to be the fast lane. Now Target limits self-checkout to 10 items or fewer, pushing anyone with a fuller cart toward a staffed register. Target says managers set self-checkout hours based on foot traffic, but shoppers have flooded social media with complaints about longer waits.
One shopper described a store where only two registers were running, both with long lines, while other registers sat empty with nobody working them. The fix isn't glamorous, but shopping off-peak, like a weekday morning, helps you dodge the worst of the bottleneck.
Locked-up merchandise
Reaching for deodorant or electronics and finding it behind plastic, with no employee in sight, has become one of Target's stickiest complaints. CNBC has repeatedly grouped locked cases with sloppy shelves and long lines as reasons foot traffic and sales have slipped.
Target says it takes a "multi-layered approach to combating theft." A spokesperson said the locked cases at its San Francisco and Riverdale stores were a local call driven by theft, and CNBC has reported the same practice in San Francisco and New York. Target expects to lose more than $500 million a year to shrinkage, mostly theft.
If you need something from a locked case, ask an employee to walk over with you so you aren't waiting twice.
The end of Ulta Shops inside Target
If you've gotten used to browsing Ulta Beauty while your cart sits nearby, that setup has wound down. Target and Ulta jointly announced they wouldn't renew the shop-in-shop deal when it ended in August 2026.
Target opened more than 600 Ulta shops, close to a third of its 1,981 U.S. stores. Afterward, it plans its own Target Beauty Studio concept in nearly 600 stores, with 80 existing global brands plus 60 new to Target. If you lean on Ulta rewards here, use them before August 2026.
Understaffed stores
Fewer employees on the floor means fewer people restocking shelves, running registers, or helping you find anything. An internal memo acknowledged messier shelves, more out-of-stocks, and longer lines, and Target said it would cut its number of store districts and push resources toward front-line staff and hours.
Target also cut about 500 jobs at distribution centers and regional offices while adding store staffing. Nearly all online orders get filled inside stores, so it's testing which stores pick and pack and which stop entirely. In Chicago, out of test stores that stopped, out-of-stocks improved, and shopper survey scores on cleanliness and employee interactions rose 10%.
Prices higher than Walmart or Aldi
That nagging feeling that your Target cart costs more than it should isn't imagined. One basket comparison came in at $66.11 at Aldi, $67.63 at Walmart, and $83.62 at Target for similar items, driven partly by pricier salmon and no store-brand milk or cornflakes.
Other analyses put Walmart ahead of Target by $1 to $16 per trip depending on basket size, though Target's 5% Circle Card discount can close or flip that gap. Aldi still tends to undercut both. Price out a few staples before you shop, and the savings add up over a month.
What Target has actually admitted
Company admissions and shopper venting are two different things. At a town hall, new CEO Michael Fiddelke said Target has lost trust with shoppers and employees: "We weren't clear enough about who we are as a company. When we aren't clear enough, that confuses people."
In a separate interview, he said boycotts hurt sales last year and added, "There's no easy button to win back trust, but we'll do the work." He also said he's not satisfied with the company's performance. That's a real admission, and it's separate from the complaints about tags, lines, and locked cases that Target hasn't answered directly.
Target's fixes in progress
Target isn't ignoring the complaints. It's spending about $5 billion to remodel more than 130 stores and open 30 new ones, with expanded dry grocery, updated checkout and self-checkout lanes, better pickup and return areas, and refreshed restrooms and nursing spaces. Past holiday seasons have also brought extended hours, so check your store's schedule.
Target also relaunched Target Circle, including the paid Circle 360 tier with free same-day delivery on orders over $35 and free two-day shipping. Executives said Circle members spend about three times what non-members do, and Circle 360 members spend roughly eight times more while shopping six times as often.
Get a protection plan on all your appliances
Did you know if your air conditioner stops working, your homeowner’s insurance won’t cover it? Same with plumbing, electrical issues, appliances, and more.
Whether or not you’re a new homeowner, a home warranty from Choice Home Warranty could pick up the slack where insurance falls short and protect you against surprise expenses. If a covered system in your home breaks, you can call their hotline 24/7 to get it repaired.
For a limited time, you can get your first month free with a Single Payment home warranty plan.
Bottom line
Target's problems aren't all one thing. Some, like understaffing and lost trust, the company has admitted outright. Others, like missing price tags and locked cases, remain shopper complaints without a full explanation. Either way, a little homework before you shop saves time and money.
Check stock on the app before driving over, compare a few prices against Walmart or Aldi, and join Target Circle for the free-tier perks. Small habits like these, paired with one of the best cash back credit cards, make your next Target run less frustrating.
More from FinanceBuzz:
- 12 ways to pocket up to $300.
- Are you a homeowner? Get a protection plan on all your appliances.
- 10 little weird hacks Costco shoppers should know.
- Learn how to escape the paycheck-to-paycheck grind.
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