Target discontinuing photo services in some stores?

[Super S]

My local Target store in Kelso, WA has a message by the service counter that they will soon be discontinuing photo send-out services. This might just be a sign of the times as people move to digital cameras, but this particular store does not have a one-hour photo shop as many of the newer or more recently remodeled stores do. So they have pretty much discontinued all photo services at this location Are all Target stores without one hour photo doing this?

[storewanderer]

Target I've always found to be a pretty useless store. They have the same signs here. Doing things like eliminating photo, eliminating garden, eliminating jewelry, does not help my perception any.

[Alpha8472]

What stores do you prefer over Target?

[Super S]

Target I've always found to be a pretty useless store. They have the same signs here. Doing things like eliminating photo, eliminating garden, eliminating jewelry, does not help my perception any.

Over the last couple years I have to agree with that. Their selection in general has become very limited on many items, and often you have the same exact product that Walmart sells except Target charges more because they put some fancy designer's name on it. I won't make a special trip to go there, because about 99% of the time I visit a Target store I leave empty-handed. If I happen to be driving by one I occasionally will stop in though.

[norcalriteaidclerk]

Actually,while I tend to shun big-boxes for a number of reasons,Target is the only such store that I at least shop at on occasion.I know the Citrus Heights store my sister works at(she's an original employee from when it first opened in 1998)discontinued live plants a couple years back,but that was due to the store getting a serious remodel/expension from its original 'Greatland' floorplan which resulted in the store physically expanding into the old garden center,it resulted in the expansion of the grocery selection as well as the addition of both a pharmacy and an in-store Starbucks(both of which the store previously lacked).Currently,the store a getting another remodel(though more limited)to get a 'P-Fresh' and an associated further-expanded food selection;and though it's anticipated that some low-movement general merchandise categories may get discontinued,I'm pretty certain that the photo department won't be going away since it's part of the guest services department which moved in the previous remodel...

Additionally,I'm pretty sure Target isn't the only retailer to discontinue send-out film developing...

[Alpha8472]

The reality is that film developing is virtually dead. The only people who still use film are either really old and don't know how to use digital cameras or people who are too poor to afford a digital camera. Film is dead because the majority of people have chosen digital.

I don't buy jewelry from Target. In fact, if I needed jewelry I'd buy it at a real jewelry shop that actually has a decent selection.

Garden centers at Target have always been terrible places. The plants often look neglected and wilted. Buying plants at places like discount stores and drug stores are impulse buys. Most of the time people don't need to buy plants. People have spent tons and tons of money on plants that eventually die or only live for a short period of time.

When you want landscaping you hire a landscaper. If you want to imagine that you are a magnificent gardener, you buy the junk plants at a drug store. Then months later you dig up the dead and dried up plant and pretend it never happened. Or better yet, you just toss some dirt over the lifeless plants and look the other way.

[Super S]

The reality is that film developing is virtually dead. The only people who still use film are either really old and don't know how to use digital cameras or people who are too poor to afford a digital camera. Film is dead because the majority of people have chosen digital.

I won't argue that. However, a lot of people including myself choose to have prints made at a local store (I use Fred Meyer) Although printers exist that print high quality images, a lot of people including myself have basic printers that don't do pictures that well. This is the future of photo centers, and I am surprised that Target doesn't at least have a kiosk where you can hook up your memory card to have prints made.

[krogerclerk]

As Kmart phased out departments such as garden centers and photo processing, the reaction is Kmart is struggling, and of course it is. When Target does these same type closures, Target is evolving to better serve its customers.

In the end both Target and Kmart are getting rid of departments that are no longer profitable or they can longer operate competitively, but Target has the by far better image as well as a more credible store environment in which such changes are perceived as making way for more profitable lines, such as P-fresh and its expanded grocery selection.

Target has made much of its same store sales comps being up from last year, though same store comps are still below 2008 and 2007, Target did have sales improvements. In some ways, Target is where Kmart was in the 80's, while Kmart was still growing, it was mainly due to continuing to open new units, old Kmarts were already getting long in the tooth by the mid-80's. Target has kept their stores fresh, unlike Kmart, but like Kmart in the 80's, most of their growth was the result of opening new locations, while existing units had flat and slightly falling sales during most of the 00's.