I wonder if this depends on location. Our Target is across the street from Walmart and about a block from Costco. Target might be priced 5.99 while Walmart is 5.88, for example, but I can still do better at Target with my red card discount. And with Target's frequent "buy three and get a $10 gift card" on household items, I can beat Costco.
i've run the numbers multiple times, and when target offers their buy 3/$10 gift card offer esp. on paper towels and toilet paper they beat everyone's prices hands down. for that reason i only buy it when they have it on that sale and do it home delivery so i'm saving on gas as well. another item i have them deliver is cat litter. the price is pretty much the same elsewhere but instead of ME schlepping the 30 pound container into the cart/into the car/out of the car i can have ups set it on the front porch and i just carry it in.
if i had 2k in gift cards i wanted to use up i would just default to target for anything they had that was less expensive/the same/more convenient to have home delivered for regular ongoing household products then deduct the amount i spent on the items from my household budget and set it aside as repayment of the 2k that was supposed to be used for vacation.