It’s a Friday night, you’re with your friends, and you are all sitting in the car, bored, thinking of ideas. What do you do? You go to Target. Target is such a popular place, not only for parents buying groceries but also for teenagers with nothing else to do. It is brightly lit when you walk into the store, with a very colorful and organized atmosphere. You usually see a Starbucks near the entrance, which gives the store a welcoming vibe. As someone who goes to Target at least once a week, I know where everything in the store is, and I never get bored of it. When you are with your friends, it is so fun to go up and down the aisles, smelling every candle, touching every blanket, and looking at all of the jewelry.

Going to a store needing one thing, and coming out with multiple items, is called “The Target Effect.” Target uses psychological tactics to get consumers to buy more, including the layout and aesthetic of the store. They put certain products next to each other on the shelves. They offer discounted products at the front of the store by checkout, hoping that getting a deal entices you to put the product in your cart last minute. A senior at Pennridge High School, Amy Harkins, says “They have a lot of things to shop for, and I always walk out of there with something. I always buy things I never need, or I just buy too much”. Someone else interviewed, Halle Casper, says, “I go for no reason and end up leaving with 30 dollars worth of things I don’t need.”

On average, Target closes around 10 p.m. This is perfect timing for teenagers to go with their friends when they have nothing else to do. Casper mentioned how she likes to drive around in her free time. Harkins also says she gets food or goes to target in her free time. She comments, “anytime I go to target with my friends, we always hit Wawa on the way home.” Wawa is another establishment near here that is perfect to go to after walking around Target, making the little memories with your best friends. According to ABC News, Wawa is so popular because it is clean, has many coffee options, and has made-to-order sandwiches and food. Chris, from ABC News, says, “I see things at Wawa I don’t see at other places.” He added, “Everyone will hold the door for you. You’ll have random conversations with people. We’ll be waiting for our sandwiches, and we’ll start talking about baseball or football. It’s almost like I’ve known them my entire life! In a lot of ways, it’s a meeting place”.

All in all, driving to Target with your friends when you are bored is a perfect option. You can jam out to your favorite music on the way there and sit in the parking lot while talking for hours. It’s the perfect way to end the day.

Sources:
https://corporate.target.com/press/releases/2021/11/target-corporation-reports-third-quarter-earnings
https://corporate.target.com/
https://www.businessinsider.com/target-effect-how-retailer-gets-you-spend-more-money-2018-10
https://people.com/home/target-effect-meaning-scientific-reasoning-cant-only-buy-one-thing/
https://abcnews.go.com/Business/people-obsessed-wawa/story?id=23346326