Major problem facing Target shoppers ahead of Christmas after controversial change: 'Devastated'

Target shoppers are expressing their frustrations at the budget retailer as we head into the holiday season, citing a huge change in the store as the reason for their disappointment. The chain decided to start stocking Anko products - most commonly found at Kmart - earlier in the year, citing "cost of living pressures" as the reason for the switch.

Target announced last year it would be merging its operations with Kmart, with a spokesperson saying they were "confident" that customers would be happy with the items on offer. However, several shoppers expressed their anger at the controversial move.

Anger at Anko Christmas switch at Target

That anger only seems to be growing as Christmas approaches, with one customer sharing her grievances in a popular Facebook group.

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"It's like they're playing with us... If you know you know," she captioned a photo of tiny Anko branded booties.

"Just bring back the ACTUAL STOCKINGS. You'd make a killing on them Target aka now Anko."

"I actually hate walking through Target now with all the Kmart shit everywhere," one shopper replied. "So disappointed.. I used to love Target's Xmas range."

"You’d think with 95% of us hating that Kmart stuff is now in their store, they’d hopefully change it back lol," another wrote.

"Bring back Target only stuff!" yet another added.

The dissent continued on TikTok after one shopper posted a video, set to horror movie music, of the Anko Christmas decor in her local Target store.

"I went there the other day to look at Christmas stockings and saw it’s all anko now, was so sad," was one reply.

"Every year I look forward to new target Christmas items 😭😭😭 I was SO devastated when I heard they were doing anko Christmas 😭💔," was another.

Major issue facing Target shoppers ahead of Christmas

Aside from the decline in quality that people are unhappy with at Target, several customers are also now faced with asking fellow shoppers for help in completing Christmas sets they previously purchased at the retailer.

"It's just so sad seeing people having to post up their stockings for sale because they couldn't find the additional letter that they need," the author of the original Facebook post added in the comments. This was in reference to the huge number of posts in the Target Mums group of people begging fellow customers to part with the lettered stockings they need or offering to sell theirs as they have given up trying to complete the set.

"I'm currently pregnant and we have two name suggestions and I found one letter on marketplace that is one of the two and purchased it just in case," she added in another comment.

"I know many of you are chasing the Target stockings to complete your set," another person wrote in the Facebook group. "I thought I’d share that I got a knit stocking that’s similar from Temu for about $7.

Shoppers 'genuinely devastated' by Target change

Aussie mum and content creator @bougee_budget has previously spoken out about the switch as well, saying she was "not excited about it in the slightest."

"They were unpacking it yesterday when I headed into the store, which is a bit of a sad day.," she said in a TikTok which has been viewed more than 1 million times. From what I can tell, I don't go to Kmart all the time, but it's the same products that Kmart have, not different designs or different colourings."

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Her video was flooded with comments from people who agreed with her disappointment.

"I’m so sad about this. If I wanted to shop Anko products, I’d go to Kmart. If I wanted some mid-high end products, I’d go to Target," someone said.

"I'm genuinely devastated by the change. target had the BEST mid range homewares 😭," another lamented.

"Anko is excellent value and quite reliable, but they are not quality products," a third said. "The bigger issue here is that you now have less choice. Kmart or Kmart."

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