Target: Changing pricing on app when customers go in store

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arizonaguy
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Target: Changing pricing on app when customers go in store

Post by arizonaguy »

Interesting video: https://www.kare11.com/video/news/the-t ... WNnJZVHigg

Essentially, customers lose the better online prices on their app when they walk into a Target store (and the app switches automatically to "in store" pricing mode).
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Re: Target: Changing pricing on app when customers go in store

Post by Brian Lutz »

This isn't the first time I've heard of this happening, and not the first store either (I've heard similar things about Best Buy, but in my experience online prices rarely differ from in-store prices there anyway.) The best solution seems to be to order online for in-store pickup on any items that you suspect the in-store prices may be higher on.
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Re: Target: Changing pricing on app when customers go in store

Post by Super S »

I wonder how it behaves with GPS location turned OFF....
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Re: Target: Changing pricing on app when customers go in store

Post by architect »

arizonaguy wrote: February 7th, 2019, 12:16 pm Interesting video: https://www.kare11.com/video/news/the-t ... WNnJZVHigg

Essentially, customers lose the better online prices on their app when they walk into a Target store (and the app switches automatically to "in store" pricing mode).
I actually noticed this yesterday while viewing a shelf of space heaters which ranged in price from $20-$30 in store. These same products had previously shown at approximately $5 less online but then matched the in store pricing when the Target app was used in store. Although this change initially threw me for a loop, I did appreciate that the app recognized that I was likely to purchase the product in store and gave me accurate pricing as a result. I just wish that the change was more apparent to the user.
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Re: Target: Changing pricing on app when customers go in store

Post by storewanderer »

It goes both ways. I've added to my phone the Kohl's app. Kohl's often does not update its clearance markdowns and items are frequently scanning at less than the tagged clearance price. When the store is busy there is often a line at the price scanner.

So I found on the Kohl's app a price check function. It works fine on most items to give you the price- except on clearance items. Since the app gives you the web price, and clearance markdowns vary between the store and the website, it doesn't really work for the purpose I wanted to use it for.

I also found (more often in the past, less lately) the prices at Wal Mart in-store were quite a bit higher than on the website. I've had mixed results getting price matches done, it seems like the policy keeps changing. In some cases a few years ago I would literally stand on the aisle, place an order on the website, and take the product back to the site2store counter and show them the information and tell them to complete my order. There seemed to be a data lag some nights and it was not easy for them to make that happen.

I don't see a problem with what Target is doing. If I am accessing the app generally speaking I am a Target.com shopper. But if I go into the Target Store then I become a Target Store shopper so customizing the app to work in the store in a way that shows me store prices strikes me as simply doing a good job following my patterns and getting me the most up to date information.

The reality is prices online differ from prices in store. Some lower, some higher. I don't really know or understand the whole thing but this is the way it is at most retailers including ones like Target and CVS that fulfill online orders primarily from in-store stock. I have come to accept this as "routine practice." Do I like it? Well, I think it would be easier to have the same prices across all channels but the reality is physical store locations have zone pricing so it is not really possible to do that.
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Re: Target: Changing pricing on app when customers go in store

Post by wnetmacman »

Not only that, but they can also make certain inventory unavailable should they choose to do so. I had this happen in January to me. I was ordering a birthday present for my daughter. She's all into Harry Potter, and we were getting her a Lego set. I ordered from my local store; it was supposed to be ready in 30 minutes. 29 minutes pass, and I get an email; the item is no longer available at the store. Mind you, their inventory showed 3 in stock, and I visually verified it. The store would not let me have it on the pickup plan, because they didn't have to.

Target won't be seeing me much longer with this type of business.
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Re: Target: Changing pricing on app when customers go in store

Post by Brian Lutz »

Target has updated their app to make it more clear when in-store prices differ from online prices:

https://komonews.com/news/nation-world/ ... ng-changes
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