target inner circle: holiday. families. giving.

Last week, I had the opportunity to attend Target’s Media Day–their 50th anniversary celebration.

It was pretty. Darn. Cool.

And though I’m already a fan of the place, it was especially interesting to me to actually meet the big guns behind it.

Like Bullseye. The Target dog. Seriously!

And as a member of Target’s brand, spankin’ new Inner Circle Program (woot!), I’ll have access to some behind-the-scenes Target info and will be able to hang with some pretty cool peeps from here on out.

But always–always!–I will be looking at the program with the eye of an educator, the eye of a mom of three who is just like you, the eye of a gal who tries her hardest not to spend $100 bucks every. Time. She. Walks through those doors.

This New For Us Friday I’m sharing a wee bit about my experience as well as the ways I was impressed with Target’s look toward the holidays, especially in how they are making things easier–and more cost-effective–for families and how they are giving back this season.

Here’s the skinny. . .

• Target Inner Circle–Holiday. Families. Giving:  Target’s Media Day featured a behind-the-scenes tour of a Harlem Target store for Inner Circle members, a news conference for members of the press, followed by a celebration marking Target’s 50th Anniversary.

We were welcomed. . .

. . . and we were busy! Lots going on this holiday season at Target!

 

Really, it was a packed day.

But the important part is what I learned as far as holidays, families, and giving is concerned. . .

Part of the new Target/ Neiman-Marcus collection. . .

. . . beautiful items that make me want to dance–

–or do yoga.

• Target Holidays:  Really just the tip of the iceberg. . .
  • Neiman Marcus & Target: Really. 24 rockstar designers teamed up with Target to create custom, totally fab items for this partnership.  Designers like Alice & Olivia, Oscar de la Renta, Diane von Furstenberg, Jason Wu, Marc Jacobs, Robert Rodriguez, Tory Burch, and more added several items each to the collection.  I, personally, dream about the Diane von Furstenberg yoga mat.  Cool gifts from Neiman Marcus designers at every-person prices? Fun.

• Special holiday lines and music collections, pre-Black Friday sales, over 800 can’t-miss-gifts ranging from $2-50, ‘gifting trees’ and more.

 

Here’s the complete slide show from the Media Day & Celebration

• Target for Families: Making holiday shopping easier & cost-effective. Love it.

• Holiday price match: This. Is. HUGE. (For me, at least.) Between November 1 and December 16, Target will match select online competitors’ prices in stores. But it gets better: if you purchase something at Target stores between November 1 and December 24, then you find it for less at Target.com or at a competitor’s printed ad, Target will match that price. I think that’s awesome.

• Extended Returns: For REDcard debit and credit card holders, you have a longer return policy in addition to saving an extra 5% on REDcard purchases and free shipping.  Woah.

• QR codes & eeeeeasy shopping: QR codes will be displayed next to all the year’s top 20 hottest toys (and shoes–no, really!), so people can scan the codes from their phones and have them shipped to anyone, anywhere in the US.  I love this. So if you’re shopping with one, two, or all of your kids and you see something you want to grab for them, you can. No more need to do that crazy distract-the-kid dance, shove the toy in your cart, cover it with a coat, and do your best not to have him or her see it the rest of the shopping trip. Scan. Order. It’s sent. Shipped for free. Whut.

• WiFi: In all stores. Really. So you can redeem mobile coupons and scan QR codes with no problemos.

 

Laysha Ward, President Community Relations

One of the 1,000 bricks saved from the first Target store ever. #luckyme

• Target Giving: I’ve talked before about the awesomeness that is Target’s programs for education, but they just announced that the annual giving of 5% of its profit now amounts to more than $4 million a week. Four mil a week.  And though Target giving is year-round, during the holiday, you’ll see a special-edition of Bullseye dog for sale–and 100% of the purchase price will go to St. Jude’s Research Hospital.  It makes me happy.’

There was more. But as for holiday highlights, important family-friendly parts, and the giving parts, I think I caught most of it.

Actually, there was a lot more–like how really exciting it was to actually meet Gregg Steinhafel, Chairman, President, and CEO of Target and to finally chat with the amazing Laysha Ward. 

It was cool to talk to Shaun White, pet Bullseye (c’mon!), and be front row for a surprise private singing of ‘Happy Birthday’ to Target by my girl, Alicia Keys.  Add to that the feeling of frustration upon learning that I missed Josh Groban, Nate Berkus, Perez Hilton, Tony Bennet, and Solei Moon Frye, and well, I suppose it all evens out in the end, right?

That’s it for this New For Us Friday, though–and really? As far as new-for-me events go, this one was tops.

fyi: I wrote this post as part of the Target Inner Circle Blogger Program, through which I received an invitation to the Media Day events and travel expenses to attend. As always, opinions are all my own; I am thankful and honored to be a part of this talented group.   Please feel free to check out the Target website for specifics on programs, campaigns, and prices.