Target — Attraction in Austin

Small target with good online selection for pick up or drive up orders but not the best selection actually in the store. Nice employees, short lines and they’ve adapted well to social distancing and have required masks since March. I have a service dog and she is normally welcome here without issue and that is always, always a plus.

However, I did have one negative encounter with an employee here, a young man by the name of Sherif, back on July 3, 2020. He was an in store security worker who approached me while I was waiting on a very helpful employee to unlock the case in electronics so I could buy a speaker. The store was nearly empty and about to close and my dog was lying down next to me while I waited, as she is trained to do. A man walked by and nearly stepped on her and she barked once in response so I picked her up and apologized to the man. That’s when Sherif came around the corner and instructed me to leave the store since I couldn’t control my service animal, raising his voice and invading my personal space.

Being about 10yrs older than him and having more than my fair share of bad experiences surrounding my having a service dog in general, I was able to de-escalate the situation by apologizing and even explained that she was still getting used humans in masks. I had already picked her up and had “control” of her, an 11lb terrier mix who’s been a trained service animal longer than Sherif has been out of high school.

He lowered his voice but was adamant that there be a confrontation and was eager to assert his authority and continued to lecture me and belittle me until the employee returned with the key to the case and helped me assure Sherif that she was trained and under control. I honestly couldn’t help but laugh when I looked at his name tag and said out loud what I was thinking, that his name explained it all. Visibly angry, he finally walked away but was reporting me to someone through his walkie talkie loudly as he did so. I paid for my $80 speaker just steps away at the register in electronics where a crowd of employees had gathered to see what was going on. A very unnecessary situation that I hope never happens to anyone else.

Now that I mention it, I did witness a young black man be pinned to the ground and “arrested” by 2 plain clothed Target security officers in this store in May 2019. I’d heard his screams from the pharmacy area and having a medical background I immediately rushed towards the sound, service dog in tow. Expecting a medical emergency by the sound of his screams, I instead encountered a young black male, weighing no more than 100lbs, being pinned face down on the hard floor by the knees of two grown men. He was obviously in pain, having his arms forcibly twisted behind his back, 4 knees weighing down on his back and legs as the men struggled to use zip ties to “arrest” him, obviously not having much experience and struggling to secure them.

I began filming immediately and asked what was happening, the man had no bags, just a tank top and skinny jeans on, his sandals and cell phone flung aside in the struggle. Assuming he was suspected of shoplifting, I still don’t know why two grown men in plain clothes were allowed to physically restrain and detain him as horrified customers looked on and asked them what they were doing and who they were. They were both very annoyed and visibly angry, shaking and flustered, one man yelled at us to get out of their way before dragging him into an office and slamming the door in my face, because I was filming them. I was really upset by the experience as were several other customers and I actually didn’t shop at that Target again until I moved to the neighborhood...

I used to love this location for curbside but the past few months, they say a majority of items I order are out of stock. Then when I proceed to walk into the store, the items are there! This past trip though, not only were they "out of stock" of half my items but the items they did bring to the car were completely smashed. A box of hot cocoa meant to be a gift looked like someone stepped on it. And two toy boxes, also gifts, were completely ripped open. There was a ceramic mug in the order that was not wrapped or protected in any way, just thrown in the bag with other items. Its become ridiculous the lack of effort or care on the part of the curbside staff. This location has a Starbucks with the feature to add on a drink to your curbside order. Not once or twice, but three times that I have added a Starbucks drink to my curbside order, they have canceled it saying that Starbucks inside was closed (at 8pm, they close at 9) or that they were out of coffee in the middle of the day...like what? If this feature makes the curbside people's life so much harder that they have to lie and cancel your order, Target should not offer it because the whole experience just becomes so frustrating when it's meant to be convenient. It makes me sad because this is (was) my go-to Target, used to be my happy place lol. Now more and more I just go to the North Austin location, even though it's technically not as nice of a store, they always seem to have my order in stock and it doesn't come out looking like they pulled it out of a trash bin. I get that working retail is a grind, and the curbside people who take care in prepping an order, I truly appreciate. But y'all careless ones are...

Update 04/2024. I want it to be known that I am sad so many retailers are talking about eliminating or reducing self check outs. For me, a big advantage of self check out is that it allows me to pack each bag in the way that I know will work best for me. For example, food items apart from non foods, perishables with perishables, delicate items, whether food or not, on top, distribute heavy items among more than one bag,

This Target is my go to. The parking lot feels safe, even at night and the store is clean and well lit. Many associates throughout. And the are fast, efficient at their jobs. A big plus is the grocery department. Their private brands are very very good quality. I choose their private brand if available.

Update 09/2023. A purchase at Starbucks earns SBux stars and if you have Target Circle, the purchase gets credit there as well. Just input your Target Circle info at checkout. While you're there, it's convenient that a grocery store is right there. Many of their own brand Good and Gather products are excellent. I don't hesitate to use that store brand. Try the flavored water and frozen fruits! Target is my go-to for things that people most probably go to that other major store for!

Update 03/29/2024. I continue to go to Target for a variety of items, including some groceries, where often the prices are better than at supermarkets. It's a one-stop shopping, helps to save time and gas. One thing, I do hope they do not discontinue the Self Checkout. They have started to...