Fess up: Are you guilty of these etiquette mistakes?
I used to live just down the street from Target headquarters in Minneapolis, which may have made me a little … obsessed. Let’s be real: Target isn’t just a store—it’s a lifestyle. You walk in for toothpaste and walk out $200 poorer, somehow with a sushi-shaped ottoman, three candles, a clearance shirt and a “Hello Fall” pillow in July (and no toothpaste). We’ve all been there.
Fun fact: My family has been part of Target focus groups, one of my kids had their picture used in a Target ad, and now one of my sons has worked there for more than five years. So when I got this assignment, I knew exactly who to ask.
“Bad Target habits? How much time do you have?” Joe says. “And I mean days, not hours.”
Turns out, there’s a fine line between being a friendly shopper and being that person—you know, the chaos goblin who snacks before paying, ditches their empty Starbucks cup in the home-goods section, and treats every red-shirted human like a personal concierge.
“OK, but I kind of love that last one—it’s really funny,” Joe admits. “Though I do feel bad for anyone who just likes wearing red. I love my job, but sometimes it feels like Retail Survivor: Aisle Edition. People do the wildest stuff.”
Like what? “Recently we had to escort a couple out of the dressing room for … activities. And not subtle ones,” Joe says with the dead-eyed stare of a person who has seen too much.
Sure, most of us aren’t doing THAT. But we might be guilty of some other cringe-worthy shopping habits. Read on for the top 10 bad habits to avoid at Target—and a few polite shopping tips, courtesy of Joe and etiquette expert Jo Hayes, to help you shop like a pro.
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Going into the back room to find employees
If you’ve ever peeked past the swinging doors marked “Employees Only” to find someone because no one was in the aisle, please know the employees saw you. And now you’re a story they tell at break.
“Seriously, do people walk into restaurant kitchens too?” Joe says. (As a former waitress, yes Joe, they do.) “We’re not hiding in the back. We’re probably helping someone else, on a break or, you know, doing our jobs.”
Do this instead: Use the help buttons in the aisles, ask a team member on the floor, or—bonus points—use the kiosks or Target app to find what you need.
Rushing the store for limited-edition items
Target has done some very famous collabs: high-end fashion designers, movie tie-ins and Target x Stanley—the one that caused all the riot videos recently posted to social media. And some superfans show up 30 minutes early to be first in line for a limited-edition collab. But pressing your face to the glass like a golden retriever and trying to sneak in before doors officially open? Not the way to go.
“It’s like all rules of society break down during these collabs. I’ve never seen so much pushing, screaming and hair-pulling,” Joe says. “It’s terrifying.”
Do this instead: “General etiquette applies especially in high-pressure situations,” Hayes says. This means being kind, waiting your turn, not grabbing things from others and putting things back if you don’t want them.
Pro tip: Just order those collab items online. You don’t get the same instant gratification, but it’s so much easier to get what you want. And it works. When Blogilates’s Cassey Ho did her most recent Target drop, I was able to get everything I wanted (except the milkmaid dress—tragic!) from the comfort of my bed with my phone.
Treating anyone in a red shirt like a Target employee
Sure, Target employees wear red shirts and khakis, but so do, well, lots of other people. That poor teen in a red shirt and jeans just came to grab deodorant, and now they’re being cornered about where the paper towels are.
“If I had a dollar for every time a customer started asking someone else for help and then got mad when they realized it wasn’t an employee, I’d have paid off my entire college tuition and then I wouldn’t have to work at Target anymore,” Joe says.
Do this instead: Look for a name badge or just say, “Excuse me, do you work here?” before launching into your laundry list of questions.
Grabbing items off fulfillment carts
You know those big gray carts loaded with items and barcode scanners? That’s not your personal treasure hunt. Those are orders being fulfilled for pickup and delivery, and grabbing things off of them is like reaching into someone else’s grocery bag. Which … ew.
“When people take stuff off our carts, it messes up the whole system,” Joe explains. “Then the guest who ordered it doesn’t get their item, and we get blamed.”
Do this instead: Grab your item from the shelf, or ask if it’s available. Employees are happy to check without you hijacking someone else’s order.
Using employees to do your personal shopping
It’s one thing to ask where something is. It’s another to hand an employee your entire list and say, “Can you help me find all this?” No. No, they cannot.
Joe, who has worked at other retail outlets as well, says that for some reason this problem is the worst at Target. “I think it’s because Target employees are generally nicer than other retail employees,” he says. Even worse, he adds, is when Instacart shoppers come in and try to get Target employees to fill their order for them.
“It’s Target, not a personal styling/shopping experience in a high-end department store. There is huge foot traffic through Target, high turnover of products, and limited staff,” Hayes says.
Do this instead: Shop efficiently, use the app for item locations and do your own job. And if you do work for Instacart? Be the legend who actually knows where stuff is.
Bringing over an item with no tag
Holding up a sweater with no price tag and saying, “Can you look this up?” is the retail equivalent of bringing a mystery casserole to a potluck. What is it? Where did it come from? Is there even an SKU?
“It slows everything down,” Joe says. “We want to help, but it’s so much easier if you bring the same item with a tag.”
Do this instead: If the tag is missing, grab a similar one (color/size doesn’t matter) or take a picture of the shelf label to help staff look it up faster. “At the very least, don’t get mad when it takes us forever to look it up or if we have to call someone to go check the shelf,” Joe says. “And definitely don’t try to suggest a price. We can’t take your word for it.”
Leapfrogging over the giant red balls
You know those big red concrete balls out front? They’re iconic. They’re also not part of an American Ninja Warrior course. Yet every day, someone’s kid—or, let’s be honest, someone’s adult—tries to vault over them like they’re training for the Olympics.
“People leap over them, do tricks off them, even try to stand on top for selfies, and I’m not going to lie, I will jump over them,” Joe says. “But while it is fun, we’ve had so many sprained ankles, spilled coffees, and one guy—definitely not me—who split his pants.” It’s all fun and games until someone face-plants in the parking lot.
Do this instead: Admire the Target balls from a safe distance. Snap a cute pic if you must. Just maybe don’t go full parkour in front of the entrance.
Leaving unwanted items on the end caps
You don’t want the fuzzy robe after all? That’s fine. Just don’t ditch it on the nearest end cap (the display at the end of the aisle) like it’s part of some weird scavenger hunt.
“It’s normal to touch and pick up things as part of the shopping experience, but this doesn’t mean we can just leave unwanted items lying about willy-nilly,” Hayes says. “This is supremely poor manners, inconsiderate and entitled. You’re making more work for others.”
Do this instead: Put unwanted items back neatly where you found them or hand them to an employee at checkout. “I’d so much rather someone just hand me something at the register and say they don’t want it,” Joe says.
Turning a dressing room into a disaster zone
Look, no one likes to try on clothes at Target more than this girl. Target has so many cute things! (I blame them for my twee prairie dresses and bows phase.) But while trying on clothes is expected, leaving a dressing room that looks like a ferret had a fashion show is a shopping crime.
“We’ve found coffee cups, gum, piles of clothes and even dirty diapers,” Joe says. “It takes us forever to clean it all up between customers.”
Do this instead: Hang up the items you don’t want, and take them out to the attendant or hang them on the return rack. (Come on, people, you know this!) Toss any trash in the bin, and leave the room looking like you were raised by humans, not feral wolves. And—for the love of all that is holy—change your baby in the restroom.
Speeding through the self-checkout
You’re in a hurry, and you think the self-checkout will be faster … but that overestimates your scanning skills and underestimates how good the checkers are at their jobs. Missed barcodes, double scans, ignoring weight prompts—it all slows things down and sometimes triggers a dreaded “ASSISTANCE NEEDED” error.
“It’s not just about speed,” Joe explains. “Incorrect scans can mess with inventory and even lead to unintentional (we hope) theft.”
Do this instead: Go slowly, pay attention, and, if in doubt, ask for help. You’re not failing Retail 101—you’re just being efficient. Better yet? “Just come through my line and let me do it,” Joe says. “I promise I’m faster, and I’ll make sure you get any extra discounts or perks.”
Leaving empty Starbucks cups on shelves
If Target is practically a religion, then the Starbucks inside it is its holy water. But that does not give you license to leave your caramel macchiato carcass on top of a stack of bath towels.
“The in-store Starbucks is a major draw to Target, but staff and shoppers should not have to deal with your trash,” Hayes says. “It’s supremely inconsiderate, discourteous and selfish.”
Do this instead: “Hang onto it, and throw it away on your way out,” she says. Trash cans are literally located near every exit. It takes two seconds, and your mother would be so proud.
Opening products to “test” them
Yes, the hand lotion smells amazing. No, this is not Sephora. Target doesn’t have testers for most items, so cracking open a bottle of perfume or unsealing makeup is a big no-no.
“This isn’t just inconsiderate—it’s also poor hygiene and could spread germs,” Hayes says.
Do this instead: Sniff through the packaging (gently), and if it’s sealed, trust the label or read online reviews. Plus, Target has a very generous return policy on these products, so if you buy it and hate it, you can probably return it. I recently returned a lipstick (I can’t wear orange-based reds, sadly)—no problemo.
Not following directions at the point of sale
There’s a rhythm to the checkout lane. The screen gives you instructions. The card reader beeps, then says, “Insert chip.” Yet somehow, there’s always that one person stabbing their card into the machine like it insulted their mother.
“Just follow the prompts,” Joe pleads. “It’s not a trap. The machine literally tells you what to do.”
Do this instead: Take a breath. Read the screen. Listen to the cashier. You’ll be out of there in 30 seconds instead of becoming the main character in a checkout meltdown. Or, do as I do, and get the Target app. If you use your in-app wallet to pay at checkout, you can skip the whole rigmarole at the register. Plus, it automatically helps you save money by applying your coupons and Red Card discounts.
Eating food before you buy it
We see you, snacking on that granola bar as you shop. But this isn’t Costco, and those aren’t free samples. Plus, sticky fingers + browsing decorative pillows = a hygiene disaster waiting to happen.
“This is why many stores have a ‘no food’ policy,” says Hayes. “It’s unhygienic and inconsiderate.”
Do this instead: Wait until you’ve paid before tearing into that snack. Or shop on a full stomach. Or bring a snack in your purse like a civilized human.
The bottom line
Target is magical. But part of the magic is not ruining it for everyone else. Let’s all agree to be the kind of shopper Joe doesn’t have to complain about on his break—and Hayes wouldn’t feature in a manners horror story. Because the only thing worse than being that person in Target? Being that person in a viral Reddit thread titled “Retail Nightmares: Volume 327.”
Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go return a prairie dress.
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Sources:
- Joe Andersen, Target employee; in-person interview, Aug. 5, 2025
- Jo Hayes, etiquette expert and founder of EtiquetteExpert.org; phone interview, Aug. 4, 2025
