Latest news with #CircleWeek
Miami Herald
28-07-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
Higher prices, evolving technology complicate back-to-school shopping
Color-coded folders and notebooks. A fresh stash of pens and pencils. A new outfit. Millions of American students from preschool through college, and their (often) bankrolling parents, back-to-school shop ahead of each fall. But as prices rise, technology evolves and new products hit the shelves, families are seeking ways to keep checking off the school supply list affordable. "When I was young, I had $50 to go to the grocery store. I go now, and that's, like, three or four items," said Matt Marsh, Minneapolis managing partner at Deloitte. "Everything costs more. So families are getting squeezed a bit, and it's creating a level of anxiety." According to PwC's inaugural back-to-school survey, nearly 3 in 4 parents said they'll spend the same or more than they did last year on school supplies, even with higher prices and economic volatility. "There's still this underlying element of consumer confidence," said Kelly Pedersen, a partner at PwC. "Even though we hear a lot of uncertainty in the market, people still need to shop for back-to-school." Plan and budget Before shopping, take inventory of last year's supplies. About a third of parents plan to reuse items, according to PwC. Budgeting, paired with a specific shopping list, can prevent impulse buying. In Minneapolis, parents Deloitte surveyed expected to spend $682 per child this year. That's 20% more than the national average. Niki Kroll of Minneapolis typically starts her back-to-school shopping in July and has already noticed higher prices. Various name-brand notebooks, folders and backpacks seem to be more expensive than previous years. But she has had success finding pencils, glue sticks and other basics on sale. Those surveyed planned to spend less on clothing and more on school supplies. They also plan to spend more of their budget on tech than last year, though experts expect the total of those tech purchases to stay flat in comparison to last year's $520 per family. Assess need As kids progress in school, more advanced classes might require new tech purchases, like a different calculator model, nearly each year. Delaying that purchase if possible or downgrading it - such as buying an older or used version - can free up room for more necessities like binders, scissors and pencil cases. "Consider asking your child's teacher what's essential on day one vs. what can wait until later in the year," wrote Ted Rossman, Bankrate senior industry analyst, in an analyst note. Shop now More than a third of parents PwC surveyed said they're starting earlier this year to snag better prices and beat the rush. "There's this thought that the better deals are out there earlier before the heart of back-to-school in August," Pedersen said. Deloitte's survey found more than two-thirds of Minneapolis parents plan to finish most of their school shopping by the end of July. They were able to cash in on recent sales like Target's Circle Week and Amazon's Prime Day. But several retailers are hosting back-to-school promotions through August. Target announced Tuesday "Back-to-School-idays" discounts from July 27-Aug. 2. The retailer is maintaining its 2024 prices on key items, and some stores will have personalization stations with embroidery and patches for backpacks, lunchboxes, towels and pillows. Walmart is offering lower prices than last year on select items, such as highlighters, erasers and notebooks. Use AI One in five parents told PwC they plan to use artificial intelligence to find the best deals this season. "The biggest change we've seen with AI shopping is the agent concept, basically putting in your shopping list and budget to optimize your list and what you buy," Pedersen said. "It's really taking all of the searching work out of having to do back-to-school shopping." AI tools like app and website ChatGPT allow users to paste in a list of school supplies and make requests, like "find these items for the cheapest prices online or in-store within 20 miles of Minneapolis." Users can also ask to search specific stores and keep the total under a certain amount. Don't fall for influencers Deloitte's data shows parents who use social media are likely to spend 1½ times more on back-to-school than others. Higher education, bigger wages, better access to the internet and more leisure time spent online all play a role. "Generally, retailers are moving marketing dollars toward influencers, and influencers are creating behaviors that might result in that splurge purchase," Marsh said. More than two-thirds of Minneapolis parents said their child's preferences often steer them to spend more, and 63% are willing to spend a little extra on their child's first-day outfit compared with 57% nationally. Make it fun In Bloomington, Mall of America is hosting giveaways, limited-time promotions and events for back-to-school. Shoppers can scan the Mall of America app once per day for a chance to win a gift card or rewards points. The mall plans to give away more than $10,000 in gift cards between Aug. 11-31. Deals are also available for the Nickelodeon Universe theme park and Crayola Experience from Aug. 4-Sept. 30. "For parents and families coming to Mall of America, it's a one-stop shop," said Jill Renslow, Mall of America's chief business development and marketing officer. "It's a destination where people have that tradition of coming for not only shopping, but to go on some rides or grab lunch." Many cities also offer local events for free or low-cost school supplies, just look on city events calendars. In store vs. online Younger parents are leading a small resurgence of in-store shopping. "Every year in our stats, Gen Zs are the ones who are visiting physical stores the most," Pedersen said. "[They] value in-person experiences, and in some cases, they're willing to pay a premium price for that." Gen Z also reported a higher likelihood of buying in-store. In previous years, younger shoppers more commonly browsed stores to try on or test products but made final purchases online. Income also plays a role. Families earning under $75,000 are nearly twice as likely to shop only in-store, while higher-income households tend to prefer online shopping. Be strategic While inflation has cooled to 2.4%, prices are still up nearly 24% compared with pre-pandemic levels, according to Bankrate. "It's not like when the rate goes down, prices go down. They just don't go up as fast anymore," Marsh said. "But there's a lot of economic anxiety about pricing." Looking for generic versions of favorite brands or comparing prices across stores can save money. So can thrifting, Pedersen said. About a fifth of shoppers said they're looking to shop secondhand. Shoppers can stack discounts by combining a rewards credit card with store promotions or other available offers, which can add up to considerable savings, Rossman wrote in an analyst note. For Kroll, she enjoys letting her kids pick their most personal items, like lunchboxes. Despite higher prices, those moments are some of her family's favorite memories. "We really like shopping for backpacks and things that have more wiggle room for the kids' own style. The lists have gotten quite specific, so it's fun when they can pick out their own stuff," Kroll said. "My son knows immediately what he wants, and my daughter tries on about 10 backpacks while looking in the mirror." Copyright (C) 2025, Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Portions copyrighted by the respective providers.
CNET
11-07-2025
- Business
- CNET
Target Circle Memberships: A Roundup of Perks Before Target Circle Week Ends Tomorrow
If you find yourself at Target more often than you'd care to admit, then you should consider enrolling in Target Circle if you haven't already. It's the retailer's loyalty and savings program that consists of discounts, expedited shipping and cash back. Target gave the program a serious refresh in 2024, rolling out a three-tier system that ranges from fully free to a paid premium option. With Circle Week event running now through July 12 with huge deals both online and in-store, it's a good excuse to sign up or upgrade and start cashing in on the perks. Here's a quick breakdown of what Target Circle is all about, how it works and which membership level might be the best fit for you. For more shopping tips, explore how to keep packages safe from porch pirates and eight tips to score the best deals at Amazon. What is Target Circle? CNET Target Circle is Target's free-to-join rewards program that lets you rack up savings and earn cash back from your shopping. Every time you buy something, you earn 1% back to use on a future purchase. (That is unless you're using the Target Circle Card. More on that in a second.) You'll also get access to exclusive deals and personalized offers that non-members don't see. A breakdown of the membership tiers Target now offers three ways to be part of Circle. Here's how they compare: Target Circle (free): This base-level membership still gets you plenty of love. This tier includes automatically applied discounts at checkout, custom deals based on your shopping habits and the ability to earn rewards with every dollar spent. Target Circle Card: Formerly known as the RedCard, this credit or debit card version offers 5% off every purchase on top of existing Circle deals. It also offers extra perks like extended return windows, free two-day shipping and discounted access to the paid membership tier. Target Circle 360 ($99 a year): If you're a regular Target shopper or love having things delivered, Circle 360 could be worth it. It includes unlimited same-day delivery in as little as an hour, zero delivery fees or markups, and access to the Shipt Marketplace, which offers same-day delivery from over 100 retailers nationwide. And you enjoy all the benefits of the free Circle membership. What you get with a free Target Circle membership Even if you stick with the no-cost version, you'll unlock a surprising number of perks: 1% back on all Target purchases Birthday reward of 5% off one purchase Automatically applied discounts during Circle Week Bonus offers such as "spend $60 twice and get $10 back" Category coupons like 20% off baby clothes or 10% off beauty products You can use up to 75 offers at one time. Note all Target offers and earnings have an expiration date, so make sure you use them before the window lapses. How to sign up for a free Target Circle membership It takes just a few minutes to join Circle. Just head to click "Create account" and then enter your email, name, phone number and a password. That's it. Customers can sign up for Target Circle in just a few steps. Target How to use all your Target Circle perks and rewards Using your offers and rewards is simple. Just activate any deals you want in your Target Circle dashboard or app before you shop. In-store: Enter your phone number at checkout or scan your barcode from the app. (If you forget, you can enter your receipt details on the Target Circle dashboard or scan your receipt's barcode using the app.) Online: Make sure you're signed into your account and your offers will be applied automatically in your cart. How to redeem Target Circle earnings on purchases That 1% cash back? It's yours to use however and whenever you want and there's no minimum required. Just remember your earnings expire after a year. In-store: Go to the Wallet section in the Target app or your account online. Toggle the switch next to Target Circle earnings to check how many earnings you have to apply to your purchase. You can then apply your Target Circle earnings by selecting the amount you want to use and clicking "save." Online: Just check the box to apply your balance during checkout. Bonus tip: You can even use your rewards at the Starbucks inside Target. (Yes, that latte can basically be free.) For more shopping tips, check out these Amazon Prime perks beyond free shipping and how to return Amazon products without a fee.
Newsweek
08-07-2025
- Business
- Newsweek
Why Target Employees Are Raging Against Amazon and Jeff Bezos
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Target employees on Reddit are raging against Jeff Bezos and Amazon, claiming that Target moved its Circle Week promotion up to compete with Amazon. In a new thread on the r/Target forum, staff members discussed how Amazon's Prime Day affected Target's plans. The original poster (OP) blamed Bezos. "It's so busy today it might as well be tax-free weekend," the OP wrote. "We obviously don't have enough staff because Jeff Bezos made us move Circle Week after the schedule was made. We did have enough staff for next week, but that doesn't help us this week." Stock image: Sign of a Target store. Stock image: Sign of a Target store. Photo by JetCityImages / Getty Images Target's Circle Week According to a separate Reddit post, Target's Circle Week was previously scheduled for July 13-18. However, Amazon announced its Prime Day, which spans multiple days, would take place July 8-11 on June 30. Target announced Circle Week would run from July 6-12 on the same day. In response to a question about the timing of Prime Day, an Amazon spokesperson told Newsweek the company, "worked with our teams around the world to determine the timing of Prime Day and ultimately chose the timing we felt would work best for our customers. "With an extended four-day event, Prime members will have more time and flexibility to shop, while enjoying exclusive deals and incredible savings." Newsweek reached out to Target, as well as numerous Target employees requesting further comment. 'You can't compete against Amazon' In the thread on r/Target, users had plenty of thoughts. "Once Target big wigs decided to move Circle Week, they decided to NOT give stores extra payroll. Brilliant," an individual commented sarcastically. "How's that three-week in advance scheduling working for ya, Target? "BTW, do Circle Week BEFORE Prime Days, so Target is the only game in town. You can't compete against Amazon." A fellow contributor remarked, "They announced the date was changing the Thursday or Friday that the schedule for this current week was due," noting that the store didn't receive any extra payroll either. "There were a lot of meetings and calls the day it got announced," another person replied. Staffing issues are apparently prevalent: "The date change was posted the day after they'd started writing schedules," a user wrote. "They asked team members if they wanted to add hours for this week. To avoid going over on hours, the store planned to used less hours for next week. One TL told me about half her team said yes." Finally, one employee said they were freshly promoted to team leader: "The plan was for me to train for two weeks before being fully in role for Circle Week, but then they moved it so my training time effectively got cut in half."
Mint
07-07-2025
- Business
- Mint
Amazon Prime Day is here. What to expect.
Amazon Prime Day is back—and it's bigger than ever. For the first time since its inception a decade ago, the members-only Prime event is scheduled to run for four days across 20 countries, instead of the typical two days. The extended Prime Day could generate more than $21 billion in gross merchandise value, growing 60% from last year, estimated Justin Post, an analyst at BofA Securities. 'Amazon's 2025 summer Prime Day is poised to be its largest ever, with the potential to deliver record-breaking sales, reinforce its competitive moat, and boost both retail and advertising revenues," wrote Ivan Feinseth, chief market strategist of Tigress Financial Intelligence. Last year's Prime Day broke records too, Amazon said at the time, notching a new high for both sales and number of items sold. But it isn't just Amazon. Although the e-commerce giant pioneered the midsummer shopping event back in 2015, mid-July sales have become as much of a staple as Black Friday across the sector. This year, Target's Circle Week runs from July 6 through the 12th and Walmart's deals from July 8 through the 13th. The deals will provide a big boost to the digital economy. From July 8 to July 11, U.S. retailers are expected to drive a record $23.8 billion in online spend, up 28.4% year over year, according to estimates from Adobe analytics released Monday. This is equivalent to two Black Fridays, which drove $10.8 billion in online spend in 2024, Adobe said. The firm expects discounts will remain at 'historically high levels" across all retailers, ranging from 10% to 24% off an item's listed price. Those discounts should prompt shoppers to buy pricier items that they may have been holding off on until now, Adobe forecasts. Apparel, electronics, televisions, and appliances will see the best deals this week, Adobe projects. Indeed, Amazon already gave shoppers a sneak peek of what they can expect, including up to 50% off on Levi-Strauss apparel and Zappos shoes; up to 40% off on televisions, vacuums, Anker speakers, Samsung Chromebooks and tablets, and premium cosmetics; and up to 30% off on toys, fragrances, and Away suitcases. The company is also introducing 'Today's Big Deals," which are themed daily price drops exclusive to members. The special offers will launch daily at midnight Pacific time and will be available until supplies last, Amazon said. Target and Walmart aren't falling behind. Target is focusing on back-to-school prep, offering Target Circle members 30% off on select apparel, uniforms, backpacks and school supplies, as well as deals on groceries and personal care items. Walmart is also boasting sales on back to school, as well as discounts on electronics, such as knocking off $100 from a Samsung computer monitor. The deals will be available for all Walmart customers, but Walmart+ members get access a day early. And for the first time, Walmart is offering its deals both in stores and online, the company said. Yet even though Amazon's competitors are putting up a good fight, the company will still come out ahead. Prime Day isn't simply a big driver of sales—it also increases Prime membership sign-ups, wrote Brent Thill, an analyst at Jefferies. In 2024, a record-breaking number of customers signed up for Prime in the three weeks leading up to Prime Day, with millions of new members worldwide. The Amazon Prime membership is a major loyalty driver for the retailer, Thill said. A recent Jefferies consumer survey found that 73% of respondents report having a Prime membership—far above 26% for Walmart+ and 22% for Target Circle. Most of those respondents said they intended to keep their memberships, which could present important upside for Amazon, given that research suggests that members of loyalty programs often make more frequent or larger purchases than non-loyalty members. Amazon may also get an extra boost from recently rolled out AI initiatives. This Prime Day, customers can ask Amazon's AI shopping assistant, Rufus, specific questions about timing and tailored deal recommendations; use AI-powered shopping guides to refine searches; and ask Alexa+, Amazon's AI personal assistant, to track prices and notify them when they drop. And that isn't counting any web-traffic benefits Amazon could get from third-party AI chat services and browsers. Adobe expects traffic from generative AI sources to increase by 3,200% year over year across all retailers. Web traffic from AI chatbots is still dwarfed by more traditional search methods, including going to web browsers or through email marketing, Adobe acknowledged, but it's becoming more ingrained in the consumer shopping pattern. In a recent survey of 5,000 U.S. consumers, 55% said they used generative AI for conducting shopping research, 47% said they used it for product recommendations, and 43% said it helped them seek out deals. Historically, Amazon shares have gotten a slight lift following Prime Day, gaining an average of 1.11% the week after the event ends and 3.29% the month after, according to Dow Jones Market Data. The stock could use the boost, no matter how small. Shares are up 1.8% this year as of Thursday's close, underperforming the S&P 500's 6.8% gain and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite's 6.7% increase. Saddle up, deal-hunters—we're in for a long week. Maybe investors should be preparing, too, in case the chance pops up to snap up Amazon stock. It isn't every day you get a potential bargain on a retail giant. Write to Sabrina Escobar at
NBC News
07-07-2025
- Business
- NBC News
Summer sales could offer the last pre-tariff bargains on many goods this year
This summer's big sales events could offer some of the best bargains before the ongoing trade war threatens to scramble fall and winter shopping. President Donald Trump's springtime pause on his sweeping global tariffs is set to expire Wednesday. He has indicated the July 9 deadline isn't set in stone, and his treasury secretary said Sunday that higher rates would kick in Aug. 1 if agreements aren't reached by then. So without a flurry of trade deals with dozens of countries in the coming weeks, the import taxes are set to drive up the prices of numerous overseas goods for businesses and consumers alike. In the meantime, major retailers are rolling out deep midseason discounts to keep customers spending despite widespread pessimism. Consumer sentiment has improved from its dismal levels months ago but remains sharply lower than this time last year. The promotions could run as much as 40% off during Home Depot's 4th of July Sale (June 19-July 9) and Target's Circle Week (July 6-12) and up to 50% off during Amazon Prime Day (July 8-11) and Walmart Deals (July 8-13). What happens with prices after the summer sales events is anyone's guess. Retail executives, including at Walmart, and major consumer brands have warned that tariff-fueled price increases are likely as the year wears on and the inventories they've built up dwindle. Some analysts are already seeing signs of those hikes picking up, particularly at department stores, CNBC reported last week. To reduce some of the guesswork for shoppers, NBC News is tracking online price levels for dozens of items at Amazon, Walmart, Target, Best Buy and Home Depot to determine when and how much they may fluctuate throughout the rest of the year. Rather than sweep up hundreds or thousands of items across these retailers' sprawling e-commerce marketplaces, the tracker zeroes in on a basket of 230 items that tend to be purchased less frequently than, say, groceries or household staples. They range from appliances like dishwashers and toasters to jewelry, smartphones and running shoes. The NBC News Price Tracker is powered by the e-commerce price-tracking platform Bright Data, which is monitoring 27 to 61 items for each of the five retailers. The Price Tracker can't identify what causes prices to rise or fall, so it's impossible to determine whether any changes reflect retailers passing along tariff expenses to shoppers. But the tool can help consumers plan their purchases at a time when goods from certain countries, such as China, or with specific components, like steel or aluminum, are disproportionately subject to steeper levies. The summer sales period offers something of a starting line, coinciding with broader trade policy changes and representing the last major discounting spree before back-to-school shopping around Labor Day, followed by early-bird holiday sales leading up to Black Friday. Since Bright Data began tracking prices of 230 items for NBC News on March 2, about 29% of them saw price hikes, with an average increase of nearly 6%. Home Depot and Target saw the most price hikes, affecting 39% and 37%, respectively, of those tracked since March. And over roughly the last month, price increases have been more common than reductions: In all but one week since May 30, twice as many products increased in price than decreased across the four major retailers. (A Home Depot spokesperson said the company hasn't taken tariff-related pricing actions and attributed any price swings to routine promotional cycles. Target didn't comment.) So far, there are few signs of broad-based pricing changes that clearly correspond to tariff policy moves. 'It's been hard to draw a line connecting the dots between things that have been said, things that are happening in the world, and certain items that we know are manufactured in those areas,' said Jennifer Burns, Bright Data's director of public relations and communications. But a few patterns are emerging in the run-up to this month's discounting sprees: Kitchen appliances: It might not be the best time to make major upgrades in the kitchen. Prices on larger appliances like freezers, stoves and ovens are up, particularly at Home Depot, where 39% of the items we tracked increased in price. The highest individual price increase was 53.1% on a freezer and refrigerator unit. At Best Buy, prices took a sharp dive from mid-April to mid-June but have since rebounded to slightly above their springtime levels. Water bottles: The prices of three popular stainless-steel water bottles — by Hydro Flask, Stanley and Owala — are each ticking up at Amazon and Walmart, potentially a sign that the 25% tariff on global steel is having an impact. (Owala declined to comment; Hydro Flask and Stanley didn't respond to requests for comment.) Electronics: Smartphones saw a sharp price spike, increasing by an average of 15% at Best Buy, but other gadgets such as speakers, headphones and accessories like charging docks stayed flat across the five retailers. (A Best Buy spokesperson said the retailer offers high-quality tech at a range of competitive price points that can fluctuate for reasons including sales, seasonality and device upgrade cycles.) Apparel: Clothing price changes vary by retailer. In May, Walmart warned shoppers could start seeing tariff-driven price hikes within weeks, and apparel is one of several areas where that may be happening. Of the six clothing items NBC News is tracking at Walmart, four saw price hikes — together rising by an average of more than 57% over the past month. Four of the six Walmart toys NBC News tracked got pricier, up 37% during the same period. At Amazon, by contrast, just one of seven toys saw price hikes, and all six apparel purchases held flat. (A Walmart spokesperson said the company aims to 'keep prices as low as we can for as long as we can.' An Amazon spokesperson said the retailer offers industry-leading low prices across hundreds of millions of items and pointed to CEO Andy Jassy's recent remarks on CNBC that the company has 'so far not seen prices appreciably go up.') Beauty and jewelry: These prices largely haven't changed, despite 30% tariffs on goods imported from China, where many such products are made. Economists warn that consumers haven't felt the full weight of tariffs at checkout just yet. 'I expect the inflation associated with tariffs to be felt later this year,' the National Retail Federation's chief economist, Jack Kleinhenz, said in a press release last month. 'Consumers remain very price sensitive, and those costs are likely to weigh heavily on consumer budgets.' But fluctuating prices aren't expected to deter people from chasing summer deals. Adobe Analytics, which tracks e-commerce spending, projects consumers will shell out $23.8 billion online from Tuesday to Friday — up $9.6 billion from last year's summer sales. 'You have some consumers who just see really strong deals, and that's enticing enough for them to do that spontaneous purchasing,' said Vivek Pandya, lead digital analyst at Adobe. 'You also have consumers who are cognizant of the broader pricing environment globally, and are kind of trying to stockpile goods in anticipation.'
