storewanderer wrote: ↑April 19th, 2024, 12:24 am
Are they requiring Circle for all sale prices now? Like a grocery store loyalty card?
No.
The majority of the Circle offers are like they were before, an entire category discount. Those have a category sign somewhere on the fixture or in the aisle, like "20% off all cell phone accessories with Circle" or "$2 off any Keurig coffee" but not individually tagged prices. There are a handful of individual unit items with a teal color tag with a Circle discount, as if they are testing to see the customer reaction if they require it. I saw this on a few items on an endcap that was set up for "S'mores" with multi pack Hershey bars, marshmallows, and Honey Maid. Each item had a Circle sale price that was $1 less. But there are the usual thousands of regular red sale tags all over the store and those items aren't requiring Circle. The difference is if you see the Circle sign or tag now there is no "work" required to get the offer, it's automatically added at the register with your phone number or wallet barcode. Before you had to add it manually.
My understanding is they are doing a bunch of tests all over the country though and that has created some issues where some of the "deals" social media are finding in one area the Circle offer is % off, in others the same category is $ off, and in others they may be testing the same items in the category individually tagged with teal price tags for a "Circle price."
There are also still some personalized offers that are only on the Target app that you still have to manually "activate." But it was only one for me during "Circle week" and it was something like spend $70 or more 3 times in XX days and get a $15 off your next purchase reward. These are not signed in the store and differ from person to person. Today I have one oddball offer for 15% off coffee.
I also notice today in the app there are "Circle coupons" for 24 different items, and those do need to be "clicked" on the app. These "Circle coupons" definitely are personalized to my shopping as they are almost a perfect match to my last few shopping trips there, but it's a twist like a coupon for Palmolive dish soap - I always buy Dawn, and Finish dishwasher detergent - I only use Cascade. I'm assuming these offers trying to get me to try different brands of what I recently bought are not signed offers in the store and I would be the only one who would get a discount if I selected the offer.
But overall it's an improvement as all Circle category offers posted in the store previously had to be manually activated on the app by either searching for them, scanning the individual item in your cart with the Target app, or you would just not get the discount at the register. There were hundreds of offers that required this manual process by the customer using the app and that has gone away. I think they had a couple hundred items or small categories before that each required this manual activation, just like Albertsons/Safeway "for you" and the various Kroger store offers that ask you to scan the QR code on the price tag with their app. Now if you see any Circle offer sign or tag in the store you're going to get the discount automatically by putting in your number or scanning the app "wallet" barcode at the register. As far as I'm concerned this is the way it should be everywhere, if it is on a sign or tag at the store and I'm a member of their loyalty program then I should get that price or offer with no additional steps.
I hope that Kroger and Albertsons get rid of their complicated jumping through hoops nightmare app sales. At the Safeway brands and Kroger brands you already need a club card for the sale price so why also add the damned app on top of it?
