As many of you know sample sales and Target designer collaborations can induce shopping frenzies that are not for the faint of heart. (Case in point: the recent Lilly Pulitzer for Target debacle.) In other words, moseying right into a Manolo Blahnik sample sale or your local Target and snagging up all the items you want is a pipe dream! Getting your hands on those coveted sample sale items and Target collections is going to take patience, strategy and prowess (uhm, that is stalking the sale location at 4am or sooner). Forget sleeping in -this is war! To help you prepare for battle, we have some tips to help you get your hands on the coveted pieces you (and everyone else) want. Here’s our guide to stalking sample sales and designer collaborations at Target.
Take a Road Trip
When it comes to Target collaborations specifically, trying a less popular market is your best bet. If you live in a highly populated urban area, try driving to another store in a smaller town. This will give you the best advantage of getting the pieces you want. Less people=less demand. If you can find a small, rural, non-fashion forward town, even better!
Get There Early
If you’re a diehard fan, get to the sale by 5am (most stores and samples open at 8am). We know this is crazy early, but it’s worth it if you really, really want those coveted pieces. If you’re shopping a Target collection online, in the past items have become available around midnight, so you’ll want to stay up to wait for it to go live.
Make a List
Know which pieces you want ahead of time and make a list of priorities. Go after your most coveted pieces first.
Use the Buddy System
Bring a friend/relative along to help stand in line and grab the pieces you want. Two is always better than one when it comes to these sales! Having a buddy to hold down the fort is always helpful.
Return for Returns
While most sample sales are final, Target allows returns for 60+ days depending on the collection. One of our greatest strategies is coming back frequently afterward to snag up returns. People always change their mind and return pieces -so take advantage! Once we came back a month later and found a very coveted Jason Wu dress along with several other pieces that had been returned, if you really want it (and don’t want to pay a markup on Ebay), use this strategy.
The Last Resort
So you couldn’t make it or the pieces you wanted are gone -you can always check out Ebay. While you will likely pay a markup, at least you’ll get the pieces you want.
