Target recently announced a new “Holiday Price Match” policy that will let you price-match with select online stores between November 1st and December 16, 2012. Full details are to be released on October 22 at target.com/morereasons, but for now the qualifying retailers will include Amazon.com, Walmart.com, BestBuy.com and Toysrus.com. Target is even offering free WiFi now in all stores to aid your price-matching activities. (Target press release)
Combine this with their REDcard credit/debit cards that offer 5% off everything at Target and Target.com, and things may actually end up cheaper at your brick-and-mortar Target than online. Sales taxes are another variable. (Does your state charge sales tax? Does Amazon charge sales tax in your state now?) Also consider if you want to provide your gift recipient the ability for easy in-store returns. An interesting stat taken from this WSJ article:
A recent survey by brokerage house William Blair & Co. found that on average Target’s prices were about 14% higher than Amazon’s, Best Buy’s were 16% higher and Wal-Mart’s prices were 9% higher. The comparison included shipping costs for Amazon, but not sales taxes.
This follows similar announcements by Best Buy and Toys R Us, although each have their fine print. I don’t think I’ve been inside either a Best Buy or TRU in years.
The Best Credit Card Bonus Offers – November 2024
Big List of Free Stocks from Brokerage Apps
Best Interest Rates on Cash - November 2024
Free Credit Scores x 3 + Free Credit Monitoring
Best No Fee 0% APR Balance Transfer Offers
Little-Known Cellular Data Plans That Can Save Big Money
How To Haggle Your Cable or Direct TV Bill
Big List of Free Consumer Data Reports (Credit, Rent, Work)
If you have Discover card the deal could be even better. Buy Target gift cards at plastic jungle (5% off), Discover has 5% off on all online purchases plus 2% off on October 26. The total savings is 17%.
Sorry the savings is 12%.
Price matching is actually a bad deal for consumers. It discourages all retail stores from offering any sales or discounts since they are no longer able to undercut their competitors. (A sort of reverse arms race if you will)
I never really thought that I would see Target offering a price match of interest ever.
As for the wifi, I discovered suddenly that JCPenney and Target were offering it (on cursory investigation, I noticed they used the same filtering provider if not ISP). Helpful, though with smartphones nowadays one already has data — but on the other side of things, probably pesky capped plans. Both also have the fastest wifi around my township that I’ve ever really seen, too, a bonus.
Oleg: if I recall my own experience correctly, the Target red card 5% off only applies to the portion paid with that card.
…and I see your second message, Oleg. I’m terrible this morning! Sorry about that.
@Oleg:
you can’t simply add the discounts up. It should be, if you purchase on 10/26/2012 (up to $1500 per discover card), 95%*93%=11.6% off.
that 11.6% barely offsets the sales tax here in CA 🙁
I never use price comparison as all the work falls on me. I have to find a better price. I have to take it to Target, I have to fuss for the price and finally, after losing gas, time and patience, I get $2.00 back. Good article though.
Price Matching worked good for me at Target. I bought a new iPhone this weekend and wanted a new case right away. Bought one at Target for $35 … went back to Target when I saw it was only $15.86 on Amazon so that’s what I wound up paying for it, actually 5% less than that since I have a Target RedCard. Would rather they just charge a fair price up front though. Apple had the same cases for $35 so glad I went to Target to buy it.