Target's "strategy" for clearance?

[Shleedogg]

So I was in Target today to buy DD a new baby doll. Every once in awhile, I like to treat her. Well, we were there 2 days before and everything was full price. Today, half the dolls were on clearance, like 75% off clearance. I got one doll for $11.48 that was originally $44.99, one for $7.49 that was originally $30 and a cabbage patch for $4.48 that was originally $19.99. Awesome deals and savings, I'm thrilled!

The surprising thing was that they were all African-American babies. It doesn't bother me in the slightest, I bought them all and am putting them away for Christmas. But their white counterparts were still full price. What gives? The practical side of my brain says, it's not racist, it just must be that they don't sell very well and they need to rotate their stock. One doll had a nice layer of dust on her head. The other part of me though can't help but feel that this move is a little racist, although I know it's not intentional.

On a happier note, TONS of toys were on clearance, right in their regular aisles. I got a bunch of boy toys, car track and cars for $16 that was originally $70 for everything! Head out to Target tomorrow and get it before it's gone!

 

[naomi78155]

I think they start clearencing out things now to make room for new stuff. I went to Target Wednesday and some stuff was 50% off. Today all of the clearence was 75% off, but everywhere that little red tag was the shelves were EMPTY!
It was like vultures had come through and picked it clean!

 

[r&kmommy]

I agree that it's probably due to how they sell, it's certainly not a racist reflection (on Target, anyway... now what it says about the area you live may be another story -- my TRU & Target always have tons of AA baby dolls on the clearance shelves as well, and our population is almost totally white - my next door neighbors are the only black family I know and have seen around. There just aren't many black/asian/hispanic/indian/non-white families in my area... my dd has a few AA baby dolls and an Hispanic one. it's just due to the population make up of your area.)

Anyway, thanks for the heads up! I'm going to be hitting Target probably tomorrow night to get ds school supplies, so I'm definitely going to have to check out the toy aisles!!!

 

[cm8]

So I was in Target today to buy DD a new baby doll. Every once in awhile, I like to treat her. Well, we were there 2 days before and everything was full price. Today, half the dolls were on clearance, like 75% off clearance. I got one doll for $11.48 that was originally $44.99, one for $7.49 that was originally $30 and a cabbage patch for $4.48 that was originally $19.99. Awesome deals and savings, I'm thrilled!

The surprising thing was that they were all African-American babies. It doesn't bother me in the slightest, I bought them all and am putting them away for Christmas. But their white counterparts were still full price. What gives? The practical side of my brain says, it's not racist, it just must be that they don't sell very well and they need to rotate their stock. One doll had a nice layer of dust on her head. The other part of me though can't help but feel that this move is a little racist, although I know it's not intentional.

On a happier note, TONS of toys were on clearance, right in their regular aisles. I got a bunch of boy toys, car track and cars for $16 that was originally $70 for everything! Head out to Target tomorrow and get it before it's gone!

I think you should speak to the manager of your Target and find out why the AA dolls were on clearance. If I had to assume I would think that they did not sell well and to get them out of their inventory they put them on clearance. Anyhow, I hope no one jumps you for your opinion.

 

[Shleedogg]

I think you should speak to the manager of your Target and find out why the AA dolls were on clearance. If I had to assume I would think that they did not sell well and to get them out of their inventory they put them on clearance. Anyhow, I hope no one jumps you for your opinion.

Why would someone jump on my for my opinion? I wasn't saying anything racist. Who would be offended by that? What I will be talking to someone about is the fact that I was charged for 2 cabbage patch dolls when I only bought one. Unfortunately I bought so much and had a restless toddler that I didn't notice until I was going through my receipt tonight. Although I don't think I'm going to get a refund on that one.

 

[r&kmommy]

Why would someone jump on my for my opinion? I wasn't saying anything racist. Who would be offended by that? What I will be talking to someone about is the fact that I was charged for 2 cabbage patch dolls when I only bought one. Unfortunately I bought so much and had a restless toddler that I didn't notice until I was going through my receipt tonight. Although I don't think I'm going to get a refund on that one.

You should most definitely get a refund if you only bought 1! Unless they have a record of you regularly going in there saying you were double charged, they will give you your money back

 

[richmond282]

They should be able to view their video tapes if they have a doubt and see that you indeed only purchased one doll.

In terms of the AA dolls, I don't think Target has a clue which ones are caucasian and which ones aren't. It's not even up to each individual store to determine what is marked down. That stuff comes from corporate and I'm sure it's strictly a numbers thing.Their stock appears as numbers in ther system. They clearance out the items that aren't selling or have been in circulation the longest. Period.

 

[tinker&belle]

They should be able to view their video tapes if they have a doubt and see that you indeed only purchased one doll.

In terms of the AA dolls, I don't think Target has a clue which ones are caucasian and which ones aren't. It's not even up to each individual store to determine what is marked down. That stuff comes from corporate and I'm sure it's strictly a numbers thing.Their stock appears as numbers in ther system. They clearance out the items that aren't selling or have been in circulation the longest. Period.

I think the the dolls with different ethnicities all have slightly different numbers, so it determined by corporate Target which dolls to clearance and when. I actually prefer to find dolls of many ethnicities for my daughter and I looked high and low for a Latina doll that was clearanced out last year when the Caucasian and African American doll remained at full price. Never found her though.

 

[luvmy3]

Its done by inventory and not all stores have the same items on the same clearance schedule so the AA dolls at your store may have been 75% off but that doesn't mean they are 75% off at all Target stores. If a toy is not selling at a particular store it will most likely be clearanced out at either of their big toy sales, if it is selling then it will most likely not be clearanced. It could also mean that the AA dolls (or even their packaging) are being re-designed so the store will need to clear the inventory to make room for the new version.

 

[pfp258]

My daughter's favorite dolly was her "baby Laurie" that was african american. She had many other babies, but Laurie was her favorite. She is now packed away in our crawl space so that she can be used again when my children have children.