Why I Don’t Like Buying Groceries at Target

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It’s not entirely about the prices. 

Although I hardly live in a remote area, I happen to be located in what I like to call a Target dead zone — meaning, there are no Target locations that are particularly close by or convenient. Because of this, most of the shopping I do at Target tends to be online. And all told, I probably shop at Target less frequently than your average consumer.

But when I do go to Target, I almost never go with the intent to buy groceries. This isn’t to say that I won’t impulse buy some stacks or grab a staple item if I’m there already. But I generally don’t visit Target for the express purpose of stocking up on food. Here’s why.

I don’t want to be tempted to buy other things

When I go to my local supermarket for food, I may be tempted to buy an extra bag of chips or some cookies that look enticing. But it’s not like I’m going to go to ShopRite and come home with throw pillows, loungewear, and a new pair of sneakers. At Target, I might.

That’s why I don’t like to shop for groceries at Target. If I go there for bread, yogurt, and pasta, I might rack up an extra $100 on my credit card due to being tempted by different items. So instead, I’ll usually only visit Target when I’m looking to purchase a toy as a birthday gift, or when I’m looking for apparel for my kids.

I’ve found cheaper alternatives for groceries

While Target tends to offer competitive prices on a host of items, including groceries, I’ve found that other stores tend to offer better prices on the specific things I tend to buy. Plus, I do a lot of my food shopping at Costco because it allows me to load up on bulk items on the cheap.

My family consumes a lot of fruits and vegetables, for example. Buying those at Target or even a regular supermarket might cost double what I pay at Costco. Similarly, we go through a lot of milk and cheese in my house. Those items are significantly cheaper at Costco.

Now, I will say that shopping at Costco, like Target, could open the door to temptation. That’s because Costco stocks way more than just groceries.

But the thing about Costco is that it’s massive, and all of its food aisles (at least at my local store) aren’t really anywhere close to where I’d find tempting items like cute apparel. Because of that, I don’t tend to make many impulse purchases at Costco that aren’t of the food variety.

And even my unplanned food buys tend to be limited to the holiday season, when Costco commonly stocks different gourmet sweets in bulk. Most of the year, I tend to largely stick to my Costco list and not stray from it.

A great store to shop in — when the circumstances align

I enjoy going to Target and browsing its aisles. But I won’t make it my go-to source for groceries because doing so is apt to cost me extra money in more ways than one. I’d rather make Target a store I visit on occasion. Trust me when I say that’s much better for my wallet.

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The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.Maurie Backman has positions in Target. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Costco Wholesale and Target. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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