It’s the first week of December, and retailers nationwide are working hard to entice you to Christmas shop at their stores. What’s Target doing to get you through its doors? Every location has been decked out with a specially-designed holiday section, and select stores are hosting a Family Fun Event there this Saturday, Dec. 7, from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. Parents and kids can visit this “in-store experience” and decorate cookies together.
Why Go to Target’s Family Fun Event?
Sure, you can decorate cookies at home, but Target has set the stage for a full-on holiday encounter. You’ll walk along a candy cane-striped path that leads through hanging peppermint ribbons and signs pointing toward the “Merry Cherry Chalet”—which is full of gifts just waiting to be bought. Target is definitely hoping to tempt you with one of its soft, holiday-themed sweaters (ranging from $18 – $33) on display.
A “London station” section features holiday foods (think hot cocoa and biscuits) from the British retailer Marks & Spencer. The brand’s iconic Christmas-tree-shaped package of buttery shortbread cookies costs $16. There’s also a “Candy Cane Corner” stocked with treats from Target’s Christmas candy brand, Favorite Day. Here you can pick up a gingerbread house-making kit for $10 or some snowflake-shaped peppermint bark for $5.
All this may not look exactly like the “fantastical forest” in Target’s holiday-themed commercial, but it’s meant to capture that magic. And again, there will be cookies to decorate.
Meet Target’s Holiday Bear
Like any self-respecting fantastical forest, this one’s got a mascot: a holiday bear named Berry. Kids can cuddle and take photos with a 9-foot version of Berry the Bear at nine select stores: in Edina, Minnesota; Fishers, Indiana; Houston, Texas; Jersey City, New Jersey; Newport News, Virginia; Queen Creek, Arizona; Riverview, Florida; Roswell, Georgia; and Spring Hill, Tennessee.
Want to take Berry home with you? You can buy four different mini versions of Berry for $5 each, or you can buy a 12” plush version of him for $10. And if you’re a Target Circle member, you’ll get a mini version of Berry for free on Saturday. Target has already given away mini versions of Berry at two in-store holiday events in November.
This Saturday’s Family Fun Event is the first of two December events at Target. The second is a beauty-themed one called Glam Gifts on Dec. 21-22. That event will highlight products like L’Oréal Paris and Essie nail polish, and Target Circle members can get a free mini Berry then, too.
If you’re lucky enough to live in New York City, Atlanta or Dallas, you can find a Target that hosts a signature holiday event called Target Wonderland. These locations have in-store experiences that include fun games, cool photo ops and pop-up encounters with brands like Hasbro, Marvel, LEGO and L’Oreal.
Target Deals to Know About Right Now
Here’s another reason it pays to be a Target Circle member: During this weekend only (Dec. 7 and 8), you can buy Target gift cards for 10% off. That means a $50 gift card costs $45. The deal allows you to buy up to $500 worth of gift cards at this discount.
Between now and Dec. 24, Target offers at least one “deal of the day” (with prices up to 50% off) to Target Circle members. Weekly deals are also updated every Sunday and run through Saturday. Past weeks have featured 50% off on headphones and BOGO deals on toys and kids’ pajamas.
Other Holiday Perks at Target
Target is also offering its Holiday Price Match Guarantee between now and Christmas. If the store lowers the price of an item later in the season, it will match the price for you. Target will also match select competitors’ prices within two weeks of buying a product.
What if you see something you want while perusing Target’s aisles? When you get home, hop online and visit the Target site. The store will allow you to create a wishlist with a link you can email to friends and family.
Now through Dec. 23, Target is operating on extended hours, from 7 am until midnight local time. Stores will close at 8 pm on Christmas Eve, and most will reopen at their regular time (8 am) on Dec. 26. And if you really need to shop on Christmas, you can always order online.
Last but not least through January 31, 2025 you can get 2% cash back for purchases (excludes gift cards) with RetailMeNot. The best part is combining this with other offers for an even better deal! Just be sure to activate the offer before you shop at Target.com.
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