Some Musings About Target

You know, you can tell a lot about the world from Target. Everyone goes there, right? Fess up, you know you love it. Today, while I was watching the world go by for a while at Starbucks, right inside our SuperTarget, I kind of crystallized some observations I have been able to make lately.

If you go to Target about 10 AM on a weekday, you are there with young mothers with small infants or toddlers in the carts, and older people. By older I mean much older than me, with the white hair and quad canes. Target is sparsely populated in these early shopping hours, but it is easy to get in and out quickly. Not that I feel I have to do that, but you could.

In the later afternoon, the moms of preschoolers and some grade schoolers are there, kids in tow, as well as high schoolers and others who are out and about after 3 PM. The little snack bar area is much more full of folks indulging in an emergency bag of popcorn or other snack food. People are more likely to impulse buy, either for the kids or themselves, then, I think. You know, you have been at work part of the day, you are more distracted, etc.

When I have been on leave, these are the times I am most likely to be there, browsing or shopping (or just having a grande iced coffee). Shopping at Target is much more peaceful in the "off" hours. Before the food store rush right after work, the Saturday errand madness or the later in the evening, cranky kids, parents trying to squeeze in a few errands before feeding their brood from the nearby McDonalds kind of time. And the sales associates are more rushed, less warm and fuzzy, you know, like the rest of us!

My time as a "stay at home" sick person has led me to these random thoughts, blame it on that. The "advantages" of medical leave, I guess. That and being able to have a leisurely mani/pedi in the middle of an afternoon.

Not too high a price to pay for queasy stomach and lightheadedness, right? Oh yeah.