It’s important to shop smarter, not harder, in today’s economy. Consumer price inflation rose by nearly 22 percent between Jan. 2020 and May 2024, reports NerdWallet. Many people have cut back on discretionary spending, limiting their shopping lists to basic essentials like groceries and medicine. Adhering to a budget can be especially challenging at stores like Target, where the aisles overflow with everything you need and more. But according to a former Target employee, there’s one simple trick customers can use to score 10 percent off almost any item.
RELATED: Walmart and Target Have a Secret Hiding Spot for Clearance Items.
There are many ways shoppers can save big at Target. For instance, the Target Circle Card (formerly known as Target’s Red Card) can get you added perks and deals. The retailer also allows customers to stack coupons and follows a secret sale schedule in which certain departments mark down prices on specific days of the week.
However, the “best money-saving hack at Target” often goes underused, according to TikToker @reddnea. In a viral video, the ex-Target employee revealed the easiest way to earn a major discount at checkout—and you don’t need a coupon or Target membership to ask for it. Instead, always go for the damaged product box.
“You know whenever you’re going to pick up a box or something, and you’re like, ‘Ew, that box is damaged. I don’t want that one. I want the pretty one from the back.’ Don’t do that,” she instructed.
She advised Target shoppers to grab the item with a crushed or dismantled box as long as the product inside is still okay and securely sealed.
“You’re gonna grab that damaged box, walk your happy butt up to the register, and literally get 10 percent off because the item is ‘damaged,’ even if the item inside of the box is not damaged,” she explained.
@reddnea Replying to @ʝєииιfєя яσѕє target is my bestie #target #moneysaver #discounts #lifehacks
“Are we forgetting that Target has price matching?” she then said, leading into her second money-saving hack.
“Find the website, whatever the link that shows like what the other person’s price is. Take it to the cashier. They’ll price match it for you,” she told followers in the clip, which has more than 579,000 views.
“You can also do it up to 14 days after your purchase. So if you buy something and then you’re like searching one day, and Best Buy has it for 25 percent cheaper, literally just take it back in-store or contact support, and they’ll refund you the difference between what you bought it for and what it was on sale for at a different store,” she added.
In the video’s comments section, budget shoppers and fellow Target employees corroborated the TikToker’s discount tips.
“I bought Olipops that had dents in it and the cashier was like thanks for taking the damaged ones. I’m going to give you a discount on all of them,” shared one user, to which the ex-Target employee responded, “NOBOODDDYY knows about the damage discount, i always get the beat up packaging now LOL.”
“That’s true the 10 percent discount [thing],” wrote a Target customer. “I do it too.”
“Plusss you can price match anything to Walmarts price on top of any coupons or deals,” said another.
