10 Things You Should Always (or Never) Buy at Target

For many shoppers, Target is more than just a store — it’s an experience. You go in expecting to buy toothpaste and walk out with a new set of towels, a vacuum cleaner and some groceries — along with some clothes and stationary. It may seem like you can find everything at Target. But some things are better than others.

Target is known as a great place to find hidden gems — if you know where to look. But the bull’s-eye brand is also home to plenty of other things you can find cheaper or of a better quality elsewhere.

GOBankingRates asked the experts to help sort out which is which.

When Target launched its Everspring line of eco-friendly cleaning products in 2019, Chowhound called it “a more affordable Mrs. Meyer’s.” Reviewers mostly fawned over the line’s gentle but effective ingredients, pleasant scents, recycled packaging and affordable price.

Approaching three years later, Everspring is still cheaper than Meyers, Seventh Generation, Method and other brand-name competitors. In fact, a bottle of Lemon & Mine All Purpose Cleaner is only $2.99.

In 2021, Target’s green cleaning lineup was joined by Grove Co., whose refillable concentrates and reusable bottles follow the same theme of eco-chic cleaning on a budget. You can get hydrating hand soap for $5.49.

MyMove recently profiled Tarmusget as one of the country’s top low-cost furniture retailers for movers on a budget — and there are certainly low price tags to be found. Unfortunately with Target’s furniture, inexpensive often translates into cheap.

“You should not buy any type of furniture at Target,” said Marcos Martinez, owner of lifestyle blog Men Who Brunch. “Do not buy any dining sets. Yes, it’s affordable — but not durable.” But some dining sets aren’t even that affordable, with a five-piece Estelle Rectangular Dining Set from Buylateral priced at $599.99.

Target may not be the best place to get your furniture, but it features a range of decor that can suit many people’s tastes. Writing for the Emily Henderson blog, Jess Bunge called it, “the perfect lamp store” in part for its affordability. One lamp that caught the writer’s eye, a ceramic table lamp with a tapered shade black, cost $50.

If you’re on a budget but you love to dabble in vino and you live near a Target that sells wine, do yourself a favor and make California Roots your new favorite brand. When Target unveiled the new label in 2017, it was just $5 a bottle. Today, you can get a boxed wine for $4.99 and select bottles of California Roots for anywhere between $5 and $9.

Tech, in general, is not always Target’s forte — and Best Buy is not the only competitor.

“Unless you’re planning to shop for electronics during one of Target’s holiday blowout sales, it’s best to make your big tech purchases elsewhere,” said Ahmed Sakaliev of Travel Fnatic. “Particularly online where you can compare prices.”

Although you might want to make the big electronics purchases at Best Buy or Amazon, the little things that go with them are often a steal at Target.

“For items to purchase at Target, tech accessories — such as the ones from their brand HeyDay — are priced well for the quality that you are getting,” said Lesha Vincent of LivingLesh.com. “HeyDay includes items such as phone cases, vlogging equipment, wireless charges, etcetera.”

Target sells books, but the selection is underwhelming and the prices generally aren’t worth the compromise.

“When it comes to purchasing books, I know that the Barnes & Noble store next door has a variety of genres compared to Target and I would always go for it despite the price difference,” said Andre Flynn, founder of Gadnets.com.

Steven Walker, CEO of Spylix, agreed.

“Most of the Target books have a 20% discount coupon, but you can still find them cheaper on other sites,” Walker said. “And they don’t have a vast collection of books.”

While many shopping experts advise against buying produce at Target, the meat aisle is often packed with discounts.

“One lesser-known deal you can consistently find at Target is on meat in the grocery,” said Cara Berkeley of personal finance blog Penny Polly. “Almost every time I shop at Target, they will have a few packages of meat with coupons attached to them for large amounts off. The minimum coupon I have seen was for $1 off, but most often I am able to get $3 off per package. I have found steals on chicken, ground turkey and beef.

“This is significant savings that I do not find at other grocery stores, so I frequent Target just for this.”

Target’s coffee aisle has a reputation for mediocrity in both quality and pricing.

“I’d avoid buying coffee from Target,” Bedwell said. “Their Market Pantry brand is not good, and their name brands that they sell are not a deal. I’d recommend buying Trader Joe’s or Wegman’s own line of coffee over Target.” A can of Market Pantry dark roast costs $9.29 while you can get a bag of Trader Joe’s coffee for roughly $9.99, offering more flavor at only a marginally higher price.

Walker agrees.

“It is much better to stick to the name brands,” he said, citing the results of a widely circulated Consumer Reports blind taste test that put Target’s Market Pantry brand coffee at the bottom of the pack.

Fashion-savvy shoppers on budgets have long flocked to Target for its deep inventory of affordable-chic apparel and accessories. But the apparel you wear to the beach might just be the best deal of all.

“As a fashionista, I love the great deals you can get on trendy clothing items, especially swimsuits,” said Jodie Filogomo, expert shopper and founder of Jodie’s Touch of Style.

“You can’t find a better deal on both one-piece and two-piece swimsuits in all sizes and styles,” she said. In fact, you can find swimsuits listed on Target’s website for as low as $27.99.