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That looks really tacky. The yellow and red are like ketchup and mustard. The colors are too harsh and would make me feel like I'm somewhere low-end, not Target. It certainly wouldn't make me want to shop there.

I am not getting the point of this. Am I missing something? Most of the items that are shown in the faux bodega have been in Target stores for months. Why the promotional expense now? It says that this is only open for a few days? It seems like an awful waste of time a materials to me.
Also, I get the bodega-feel with these pics but why choose such a cluttered aesthetic to advertise your products?

^^^IIRC there are no targets in Manhatten...but there are a lot of bodegas. I think they are trying too hard to be cute.

I love this idea. Bodegas... Come to BOSTON!!!!

I have problems with bodega as well. I wonder what my relatives in Mexico would make of it. Other than that, it sounds like a street fair or holiday market and, as such, could be fun.

I think this was an interesting idea, but very poorly executed. Also, this type of bodega doesn't exist in any of the high-end areas where these shops are located. If it was put in Williamsburg or the LES it would have seemed less out-of-place and maybe helped. Nonetheless, poorly done, and totally unrepresentative of the things they are promoting.

oh, who cares? different businesses do short-term events to promote their products all the time. one day restaurants. hell, it's one of the chief tasks on "the apprentice." it's open for four days, it's not a new business you have to add to your schedule.

there'll just be more room and shorter lines for the rest of us.

I think it's clever as hell. I think it's also a little wink to those of us who realize the irony of hipsters and "elitist" urban-mined individuals who condemn the big boxes for pushing out local mom-and-pop commerce, but LURVE them some Target.

(I am one of those elitist, btw. But I suppose I'm comfortable in my hypocrisy. Somewhat.)

so overly-contrived that it misses witty and playful by a mile...

"[the bodega colors] would make me feel like I'm somewhere low-end, not Target."

Except Target is low-end. And so are the corner bodegas that they are paying winking homage to. The whole point of the exercise is to reinforce the Target brand - fashion-conscious and cheap. (Not that that's not a plus sometimes, but honey, don't kid yourself that it's *actually* pronounced Tar-zhay...)

I fear this may have the opposite effect intended. Rather than saying that Target has nice things (from serious designers no less) at low prices, this display seems to be all about making the nice things with low prices from good designers look as lowbrow and tacky as possible.

One of the interesting things about price is that consumers tend to be very suspicious of anything that is claimed to be superior that has a low everyday price. They tend to think there must be something wrong with the product. This display only encourages those suspicions.

However, this same display with $50 candles and $250 place settings and $1000 sheet sets might be seen as a witty contrast.

wow, what a bunch of haters... i like this idea! especially since I'd much prefer Target throw down a few pop-up stores every once in a while when they have something cool to offer, rather than bulldoze an entire city block in west Chelsea and open a permanent store. Looking forward to checking it out on Friday.

Here's what I don't get: Target goes through all the trouble of creating these designer bodegas, yet in many of their stores it's almost impossible to find any of the designer stuff - it's all mixed in with every thing else, and in the few cases where they do create a special display, the shelves are often empty save a couple of chipped or open pieces. I have to hunt online, then specifically *target* what I'm looking for when I hit the store because otherwise I'm sure to miss it.

I'm confused by the negative reactions. This isn't the first time they've done a pop-up store. Really would you rather shop here and have a little fun or trek to that horror of a store in Brooklyn?

Wow, I really like this. I'm surprised by all of the negative comments. These are meant to be a little tacky and cheeky, and that's ok. It's fun to be tacky and cheeky.

the primary issue I have with this, is that they can advertise in cheeky ways all they want, but unless that actually STOCK THE BROOKLYN STORE, I'm not going to bother.
I've been there on a number of occasions and it's always cleaned out to the point of multiple empty shelves everywhere.
It constantly looks like a shop that is being remodeled.

When I lived in slightly more suburban cities, I loved Target. The only Target in NYC, however, is horrible horrible horrible.

Shilojean, there are two Target stores in Queens, duhhhhhhhhhh

There's one in the Riverdale area and it sounds like all the others in the area are the same: totally unstocked.

Get it together, Target.

@kellylc if you were closer I'd hug you. Keep trying, you'll get there. I'm now very comfotable with my hypocrisy.... :
But I never lost the joy of pointing out others to them... :o)

I was so excited for the Target bodegas -- I even left my home in Brooklyn, in the rain, yesterday to go check one out. I was supremely disappointed. What sounded like a cool, exciting concept was very poorly executed. It WAS the same exact stuff they've had on Target shelves for months. There was a whole row of paper plates and napkins. A whole long row! Granted, they were fancily decorated, but I don't understand the point. There were lawn ornaments. There were towels. Grey and white and blue towels. At regular prices. The bodega was as picked over as my regular Target store in Brooklyn. It was a waste of my Metrocard rides and time.

In response to poorly stocked Targets near the city, rent a zip-car and get yourself to Jersey City, because I live in Mass. and have 4 Targets within half hour driving from my house and the Target in Jersey city beats them all BY FAR! Also, why is everyone taking this whole bodega thing so seriously, don't we have bigger problems in the world besides Target trying to bring a little bit of convenience to those in NYC?

i went to one yesterday and it was fairly picked over, especially the new stuff that isn't on store shelves yet like victoria hagan and john derian. i put this down to my going at 5pm instead of being there when they opened at 10, which was my plan.

target updates their website once a week in the wee hours of sunday, when they week's circular and any new merchandise.

Anyone else have a problem with the undertone of racism in this promotional campaign? To me, as a native New Yorker, this smacks of gentrification and a definite tone of racism. I live in a working class Latino neighborhood and I find this to be truly offensive.

Disagree with me if you want, but I think this is tacky and disgusting.

I have to agree with jeanS. It is almost like target is mocking (poorly) many of the local stores.

i disagree with the racism take. it flies in the face of target's aggressive multiculturalism. also, that's what a lot of people in nyc call a corner store whether it's run by latinos or not. i think using the word bodega is like calling a facial tissue a kleenex or a photocopy a xerox. the phrase is so firmly in the lexicon that it is the best identified phrase.

When was the last time you see a designer product at Target that has a shelf life or more than a couple of weeks? The turnover rate is so high, it's almost not worth the effort. I recently had a Target employee admitted to me that each store only would receive a few pieces of certain items -- once they're gone, there's no guarantee they'll be re-ordered -- it's no wonder one can never find anything. (I had to resort to auctions to get the Mizrahi Ship Light from a few years back.) I understand why Target may not want something sitting around stagnated; but it's ridiculous when one has to drive from store to store just to find something -- it defeats the purpose of shopping at a big box store.

they specifically instituted a "get it before it's gone" policy several years ago to train consumers to buy quickly.