I missed my alarm for the Lilly Pulitzer for Target launch and didn't make the 8 a.m. rush...but my savvy sister, Chantal, did! Here, she recounts for us her heroic tale of shopping this highly-anticipated launch. —BB
Hi ladies! It's Chantal here, Budget Babe's sister, guest blogging for you all tonight to share my experience with the Lilly Pulitzer for Target launch. It all began late last night when I attempted to score some of the merchandise online, and at that point Target.com crashed. So, left with only the store option, I decided I was going to Black Friday this sale and be there when the doors opened.
Target stores open at 8am, and I managed to get myself there by 7:50. There was already a line when I arrived, about 16 other women. One person said they were there since 6:30 am (no thanks). While in line, people started talking to each other, discussing their plans, what they were after. There was a sense of camaraderie, that you’re all crazy together - and for those brief moments before the doors opened you could forget you are probably about to elbow that nice lady in the throat.
All of the early birds had a plan, which they loudly discussed. The women in the front of the line came in a group, of six, and had divided up the store into sections, which they would take on in teams (yay for the rest of us single shoppers!). They also very loudly discussed how many of each item they were after (enough of all the homeware dining items to seat 12, because “why bother if you don’t have 12”). They also were in cahoots with people on the phone at other Targets looking for the same items. I had a small list of items I really wanted. One of items in the clothing/accessories section, one in beauty, and one in housewares.
The doors were promptly opened at 8am, and that’s when the real fun began. Everyone ran, Black Friday style, into the store and it was a free-for-all after that.
The clothing section was very, very small. One small rack for the Lilly Pulitzer clothes, let's say it was enough to fill one shopping cart (which is what happened). This store had none, zero, shift dresses. The items they had were palazzo pants, strapless romper, strapless maxi, some shorts, the rosey posey shirt and that’s it. That’s it! Considering the hype and endless commercials for this collection on my Hulu app, I really thought they’d stock more than that in a huge store.
The accessories section was even more pathetic. One straw bag in each color available, one of each scarf (if even that). I managed to snag a few scarves, which I had to literally snatch out from in front of a few ladies (sorry). A few pairs of flip-flops. I saw none of the hats, and no jewelry. This particular Target didn’t have the beauty section either, even though it is a “high volume” Target. I did see the beauty section later at another Target, although it was already almost picked clean.
I made a mad dash to the back of the store where the seasonal and outdoor items are kept. There was a special Lilly Pulizter display, with all the beautiful homewares on display- and one woman scooping them into her cart like they were Costco samples. I grabbed myself a box of plates, my one “must have” item, and grabbed a tote bag (because for some random reason they were there and not in the accessories section). I also grabbed the champagne glasses my sister wanted - and that was it. I did pick up the floor cushion, but honestly it felt like it was stuffed with newspaper, and $40 is still $40. By the time I grabbed those things, the woman who had made it to the back first had already filled her cart to max capacity and cleared the table. Boo.
I decided to go back up to the front to see if I could find a beauty display, since I had mistakenly thought all the items would be at all Targets ( I read that somewhere…). While up there I struck up a conversation with a fellow shopper, the one who had just scooped up every singly item of clothing into her cart. She seemed flustered and overwhelmed and said she didn’t even know what she was buying, but that she’d either give it to her daughters or her sister or return it. She let me look at what she got, and let me take a shirt. Which is the only piece of clothes I actually scored from the collection. She wandered off when her mother called from another Target to let her know she had gotten her the napkins she was after.
Another shopper that I had spoken to while waiting in line dropped a green tote bag in my cart and said he didn’t want it. I used it to barter, and scored the giraffe bottle opener I had on my list.
I wandered back to the housewares section of the store, and saw a Target employee walking by with three throw pillows - which I promptly asked for and threw in my cart.
At this point, the six women who had been first in line had full to the brim carts. The other early shoppers and myself had decent hauls; and the displays were completely empty.
It was now 8:05.
As we were all checking out we discussed what we had found, what we had wanted etc. I really, really, really wanted to score the stacking cup set. My Target had one, that’s right, only one on the display. Which was probably the most annoying part of this whole experience. They had so few of each item. At every Target I went to (and that’s a grand total of four today if you’re counting) I spoke with employees who confirmed what I saw at the first store. One set of cups, four boxes of plates (which is what at least one woman thinks is what she needs for her summer parties), a few hurricanes, a few towels, a few bags, a few giraffes, a few pineapples. What is this, Lilly’s ark?! Can we please get more than two of everything Target?
The other women were discussing which daughter, cousin, sister, friend, aunt would get what from their hauls. So it actually didn’t seem like they were about to turn around and sell it all on ebay. I think there are just some really lucky family members that are going to be getting Lilly Pulitzer gifts this summer.
I left the first Target around 8:15, made it to the second by 8:30. It was already cleaned out. I left and made it to the third Target by 8:45. I found my sister some pineapple sandals, a set of appetizer plates, and some hair bands there. Otherwise, it was cleaned out.
Later today I had to run an errand for my sick husband to Target (yay! More Target!) and by 3:00pm it was like it never even happened. The displays and signage were taken down. The only remnant of the Lily Pulitzer for Target sale was the random unhappy customer wandering around and asking the store associates “uhh…. Wasn’t that supposed to come out today?” —CB
I am a Black Friday shopper and loved that it was just as fun. I had no intentions of "needing" anything, just hopeful I would get something. My daughter (21 months) now has a 4/5 Lilly dress waiting for her. I will keep most personally, and give the rest as gifts.
It looks like your sister had a fun experience abs was able to score some great things! I burst out laughing at the 3pm customer. I've been there at other launches
It was exhausting, especially after staying up late to see the website just crash!
I'm going to go out on a limb and say Target didn't do much to educate their employees.
Heidi
www.wishesandreality.com
J’ai craqué pour le chemisier Merci pour ce poste, Coline !
http://www.godopt.com
The home section was picked over, but I got beach towels and a platter. I actually agree with the ladies who said they would want 12 plates -- it's how many you need for entertaining! I also grabbed two cosmetics cases, which were also on my list. All in all, I'm happy, but they really should have called this a "flash sale" if they were giving such pitifully low stock to all the stores.
Knowing Lilly was popular amongst white middle to upper class caucasian women (myself being one) however I grew up in a ghetto area this is where it finally paid off for me in life this one single day of my life) Okay I figured if I go to the worse Target I can think of no one in that area or even know or care who Lilly was. So I went all the way to South Central LA I was going to go to Compton but it was too close to USC but who am I kidding those college girls don't have the kahunas to go there however I do remember I was raised in a shady area things have changed but it will always be comfortable to me and I feel at home Needless to say I was the only person besides 3 other girls and 2 gay guys more excited than any of us and a big help inside to. I keep hearing no clothes and no beauty from other stories ... I'm guessing they were ALL HERE we all filled our carts and my total was $2,340 and tripled it on ebay I wish I would have got more! So when we left the displays looked like we were never there. So I had to call just to see what happened and an employee told me by 11:00 am all the girls from USC rushed that place some were crying and others just were relieved after several other Targets with no luck ha ha they're crazy and willing to die for Lilly apparently however none were hurt robbed or kidnapped ha ha I guess they all know my secret now and will be the 1st ones there if it happens again (darn it) I realized something as a kid when you go to nice areas for good stuff YOU'RE DOING IT WRONG I started to take notice when on Halloween we went to Beverly Hills to Trick or Treat and you know what?! Those cheap a*s people didn't give hardly anything if they even answered the doors and yea they were home it was a scam! Yet before we'd leave to go trick or treating me and local kids went where we lived in east Hollywood and it as ghetto as hell in the 1980's and we got whole candy bars then after 3 years of this I had it all figured out and after I just went to my area and Halloween was better than ever and filled my bag every time. TAKE IT FROM ME I KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING I ͏b͏e͏t ͏t͏h͏e ͏n͏i͏c͏e͏r ͏t͏h͏e ͏t͏a͏r͏g͏e͏t ͏t͏h͏e ͏m͏o͏r͏e ͏t͏h͏e ͏f͏l͏i͏p ͏f͏l͏o͏p͏s ͏h͏a ͏h͏a! ͏t͏h͏e͏y ͏d͏o ͏t͏h͏a͏t ͏o͏n ͏p͏u͏r͏p͏o͏s͏e ͏s͏o ͏t͏h͏a͏t ͏p͏e͏o͏p͏l͏e ͏f͏r͏o͏m ͏p͏o͏o͏r ͏a͏r͏e͏a͏s ͏a͏r͏e ͏d͏e͏t͏e͏r͏r͏e͏d ͏f͏r͏o͏m ͏g͏o͏i͏n͏g ͏t͏o ͏t͏h͏e͏i͏r͏s ͏a͏f͏t͏e͏r ͏a͏l͏l ͏t͏h͏e͏r͏e'͏s ͏a ͏s͏a͏y͏i͏n͏g ͏t͏h͏a͏t ͏g͏o͏e͏s " " THERE GOES THE NEIGHBORHOOD" ͏a͏n͏d ͏i͏t ͏i͏s ͏k͏i͏n͏d͏a ͏t͏h͏a͏t ͏m͏e͏n͏t͏a͏l͏i͏t͏y ͏t͏h͏e͏s͏e ͏c͏e͏o'͏s ͏h͏a͏v͏e ͏b͏e͏c͏a͏u͏s͏e ͏n͏o͏t ͏a͏l͏l ͏s͏t͏o͏r͏e͏s ͏w͏i͏t͏h ͏t͏h͏e ͏s͏a͏m͏e ͏n͏a͏m͏e͏s ͏a͏r͏e ͏t͏r͏u͏l͏y ͏t͏h͏e ͏s͏a͏m͏e ͏b͏e͏c͏a͏u͏s͏e ͏s͏e͏e ͏t͏h͏a͏t ͏w͏a͏y ͏t͏h͏e ͏l͏o͏y͏a͏l ͏w͏e͏a͏l͏t͏h͏y ͏l͏o͏c͏a͏l͏s ͏w͏i͏t͏h ͏m͏o͏r͏e ͏m͏o͏n͏e͏y ͏w͏i͏l͏l ͏k͏e͏e͏p ͏g͏o͏i͏n͏g ͏t͏h͏e͏r͏e ͏a͏n͏d ͏s͏p͏e͏n͏d͏i͏n͏g ͏a͏l͏l ͏y͏e͏a͏r ͏n͏o͏t ͏j͏u͏s͏t ͏f͏o͏r ͏c͏e͏r͏t͏a͏i͏n ͏t͏h͏i͏n͏g͏s! I mean have you ever been to a store like Macy's in an area that was not to great? Now go to the nicest one in an exclusive area and let me tell you the restrooms will be like night and day. The cameras will make you feel like an inmate not a shopper and things like coats will be tethered to a rack with wire needing an employee to unlock it just to try in on, alarms on everything even the perfume displays ha ha bit true and they won't forget to remove those big alarms off the clothes when you buy them there like they might accidentally do at other stores and don't even go off when you leave however these ones will the because there so big the sensors won't miss unless it's that big giant nail they use to attach it to the clothes that sets it off I wouldn't be surprised even people in the bible days would say damn that's a big ole nail and just think they had no refining tools back then lol!
SO REMEMBER THE GHETTO CAN BE YOUR FRIEND TOO!