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scoopie77
January 25, 2010 9:41 AM
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Wait, Target mails out coupons? How do you get on that list?

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ExtraCelestial
January 25, 2010 5:42 PM
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I was just about to write the same thing. I have never received anything from them and I shop there like it's my job. WTF Target?!

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Trixie.in.Dixie
January 25, 2010 12:13 PM
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I shop Target religiously, have a Target credit card, and have ordered from the website numerous times. I also maintain a Wish List, and participate in the program that gives money back to the school of your choice. I have never received any kind of coupons for Target. Then again, I don't know anyone else in Atlanta who has. How odd.

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Dustbunny
January 25, 2010 11:05 AM
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I'm on Target's coupon list but I've never signed up for any registries. Maybe it's because I've ordered stuff online.

In any case, Target is *my* happy place too.

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Eyebrows McGee (now with more baby!)
January 25, 2010 10:13 AM
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I might have gotten on it after I registered for baby stuff ... I think I sometimes got coupons before then in the general junk mail, but after that I got much better targeted packets.

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billsquared
January 25, 2010 10:07 AM
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We got the same coupon pack Joanne's former tenant got. As to how you get on their mailing list, in our case I suspect it was for using Target for wedding and baby registries.

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jezebelseven
January 25, 2010 8:13 PM
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I don't think it's the registries-- I had my wedding registry there and never get coupons :(

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jimmyhl
January 25, 2010 9:43 AM
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The difference might be due to market-preference data, such as credit limit, history of purchasing patterns (like brand name items), whether you have a TARGET credit card, previous redemption of coupons already sent, responses to marketing surveys, gender(?), number of kids in the house, age(?). Or....it could just be a screw-up.

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krista
January 30, 2010 8:16 AM
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I have a Target credit card, fill my prescriptions at Target, do a good amount of shopping there, and I don't get coupons :-(

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Loias calls you out if you can't RTFA
January 25, 2010 10:14 AM
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Wait, so because my credit score i high I get the name brand coupons? If I started buying all those name brands, my credit score would inevitably decline, and then I'd get the off-brand coupons?

My score is high because I'm responsible. Responsible people don't buy name brands.

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chiieddy
January 25, 2010 10:50 AM
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I buy name brands when appropriate. Not all name brands are more expensive than store/generic. In addition, one thing I'm particular about is my toilet paper. And yes, I squeeze my Charmin'. :)

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kateblack
January 25, 2010 10:32 AM
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They might at Target. Their generics often have a higher unit price than name brands.

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Darkneuro
January 25, 2010 9:43 AM
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I would imagine there may be a way of tracking which coupons have been used. If she's been using the coupons addressed to him rather than her, then 'his' coupons would register better returns than hers, leading to a better targeted marketing.

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corkdork
January 25, 2010 6:57 PM
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Are you sure? I know that at the store where I work, coupons mailed to different ZIP codes have different PLU numbers (the number you enter to the register to get it to deduct the coupon from the total bill). So why wouldn't Target have different coupons for A-list customers versus B-list ones?

From a co-worker who worked for Target in middle management, I'm given to understand that they're REALLY serious about data-mining there, so that would fit their general business model.

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pecan 3.14159265
January 25, 2010 9:44 AM
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What exactly are you supposed to do when you keep getting promotions and spam stuff addressed to the person who used to live here? Who would you give them back to if the person living there no longer lives there, and the multiple cable company spam cards are still coming?

I get multiple coupons and advertisements that have \"or current resident\" under my name, and another one that has someone else's name on it, also with \"or current resident\" under the name. My mail man has crossed off the name of the person who used to live here, so I think he or she knows that X person doesn't live here anymore, Y person does.

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Fred E.
January 25, 2010 10:23 AM
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Just call the company and tell them to remove you (pretending to be the addressee) from the mailing list or if there is a return envelope or postcard write \"Please remove from mailing list\" on it and and then send it back.

In other words, exactly how you would stop it if it were addressed to you.

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RandomHookup
January 25, 2010 9:59 AM
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You get to keep them or throw them away. As long as it's bulk mail, it's not returnable. I'll bet most of it has \"John Smith or current addressee\" on it. (Note: I learned this as an Army postal officer years ago).

If you want to get rid of mail that's not yours, remember to scratch out the little bar code under the address or the computers will keep sorting it back into your pile because it doesn't read anything else.

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Verucalise (Est.February2008)
January 25, 2010 9:56 AM
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My mother who worked at the post office said that a certain class mail is not refusable. I keep getting catalogs for the previous owner of my house, and I can't return to sender. Solicitations cannot be refused unfortunately. I guess there are ways to stop them, but I don't care that much. Maybe one day I'll benefit with coupons like the OP!

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dg
January 25, 2010 12:25 PM
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That's ABSOLUTELY UNTRUE. EVERYTHING is refusable. Just write \"REFUSED... RETURN TO SENDER\".

The Post Office HAS to take it back. I have the letters from the US Postal Inspectors to prove that point.

That said - some mail isn't RETURNABLE by the Post Office to the Mailer. That is, if you write \"Refused, return to sender\" on a first class or 1st class presort - it's going back to the mailer and they'll get a postage due notice for the privilege of having it returned.

If you write \"Refused, return to sender\" on a catalog or other Standard Mail item, it goes back to the Post Office and THEY recycle it. It doesn't go back to the original Mailer.

If you get mail that's not addressed to you - you can't open it. Write \"Addressee unknown, refused, return to sender\" and the Post Office will either forward it (if there's an order on file), or they'll return it to the original mailer and then that person will know to update their records.

Due to recent USPS rules, if one wants to send standard mail (aka junk mail) at a better rate, it has to be addressed to \"Mr. XYZZY or Current Occupant\" - in that case, you can read it, but just write \"Addressee unknown, Current Refuses. Return to sender.\" and throw it back in the mailbox.

If your Mail carrier puts it back in your box with a nasty note, file a complaint with the Postal Inspectors. You have the absolute right to refuse any unopened mail for any reason whatsoever.

If they put junk mail in your box that's not ADDRESSED to you - write \"Delivered to wrong address. Refused. Re-deliver or Return to sender\" and toss it back in the box. Same deal with the Postal Inspectors if the mailman decides to be a schmuck and put it back in your box.

There's other things you can do by filing forms at the post office, that make it ILLEGAL for a mailer to send you anything, or to sell/trade/rent/lease/gift your name/address.

It took me a while, but I don't get junk mail very often at all - a few times per year, and I file to be removed from those lists. I buy what I need, when I need it. I get the prices online. I don't need to be flooded with coupons and other crap that I'm never going to use anyway...

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Fred E.
January 25, 2010 10:25 AM
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Catalogs are the simplest because they have a toll-free number to call, someone answers quickly, and usually they only want a code off the address label to stop the mailings. Take the minute or two and save the trees!

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TCama
January 25, 2010 9:52 AM
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It's tricky, because USPS won't forward mail that isn't first class. If it's first class, just write \"not at this address\" on it and stick it back into the mail. But if you do that for any mail that isn't first class (most junk mail, coupons, etc.) then you'll just get it back again.

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HogwartsProfessor
January 25, 2010 11:43 AM
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This is true. I have to do this at work. Also, companies trade mailing lists like baseball cards, so even when I do call catalogs and get us off the list, a few months later I get it back again. With certain ones, like those overpriced business seminars, you can't get off the list ever. They say \"Oh it will take sixteen weeks\" but they NEVER take you off. I have to just pitch those now.

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dg
January 25, 2010 12:32 PM
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ASME seminars in North Carolina by chance? I've dealt with them. File a prohibitory order with the post office and the seminar holders will go away...

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glorpy
January 25, 2010 9:44 AM
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Flip back to that article on loyalty cards. My guess is if they think your customer demographic block is more likely to buy name brand goods when incentived by coupons, that's the set of coupons you're going to receive.

@scoopie77: No idea, but I was recently added to their mailing list. I only get name brand ones. My partner (who legally owns the house we live in!) doesn't get them.

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pantheonoutcast
January 25, 2010 9:45 AM
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\"I rarely shop for name brand stuff, and I've only ever bought generic cleaning products, toilet paper, etc. from Target.\"

That's why you got the less-favorable coupons. You obviously spend less than he does, and on less expensive, store band items items. Target is attempting to get you to spend more. It's called marketing.

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TCama
January 25, 2010 9:54 AM
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Even though store brand items are cheaper, they're far more profitable for the retailer. Assuming the retail makes the product itself, it just keeps all of the money from the purchase, as opposed to giving something like 60%-80% to the supplier. Even if the store doesn't make its own name brand products, it still has a much larger profit margin than most brand name item.

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pantheonoutcast
January 25, 2010 10:10 AM
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I don't think Target is worrying about profit margin in this case - I think they are looking to make the OP spend more in the store. People that buy brand name merchandise typically also make impulse purchases and the like. This is a long-term strategy on Target's part - attempting to create a \"shopper\" out of a \"consumer.\"

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bwcbwc
January 26, 2010 3:29 AM
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Well, since she's new in the apartment, this could just be a situation where the previous resident has a buying history with them, so they are better able to send him targeted coupons. Without the buying history, she just gets manufacturer's coupons for the name-brand stuff. They probably just haven't correlated her new residence with her shopping habits from her previous address.

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johnjamesthree
January 25, 2010 10:20 AM
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No, the supplier is the one who pays for the coupon. retailers ask suppliers who wants to pony up some money for their products int he coupon section. Those that PAY to do this will be part of the flyer. Those that don't too bad. The supplier of the Target exclusive brands is already taking less money so they give fewer incentives to buy their products. Target does not manufacture any of its exclusive brands. Think of it when Martha Stewert was only available at KMART. Her company was still the supplier. Target might have multiple suppliers throughout the country making the product to the specs Target wants.

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Rectilinear Propagation
January 25, 2010 9:45 AM
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The OP rarely buys name brand and gets name brand coupons. Perhaps the former tenant rarely bought any cleaning supplies or cereal at Target and Target sent generic coupons in an attempt to get the former tenant to at least buy something from that part of the store.

Target would like you to buy name brand because they cost more so they send name brand coupons.

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DerangedHermit
January 25, 2010 9:59 AM
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Except there's usually a bigger profit margin on private-label items.

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Rectilinear Propagation
January 25, 2010 10:28 AM
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Then they just want to send her useless coupons.

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Conformist138
January 25, 2010 9:51 AM
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I have to object to the theories about tracking coupons. Each coupon has the same bar code, the same numbers, everything. Usually, just a sticker with the address is put on the book and it's mailed. I have roommates, so there's often duplicates of coupons in our mail, none of them ever have individualized anything other than the address label.

It could be if she has a Target card, but then it means that she is being sent coupons that are the opposite of her spending habits despite offering coupons she'd find useful to other people.

In the end, it seems very strange for coupons sent at the same time to favor one customer over another. Why not save the time and send the same coupons to all customers?

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5 replies
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meske
January 25, 2010 3:31 PM
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If you ever used a credit card at the store, every purchase used is tracked and analyzed. They know your credit card number, your name, your address, etc. Look at any store that will take back a purchased w/o a receipt as long as you have the CC used to purchase the item... it's all stored. This is pretty simple stuff these days... and as long as their data is encrypted and they do not sell it outside the company, they can mine it anyway they wish.

The op buys generic supplies. So, they want to try and get them to try name brand by dangling a coupon carrot. The previous tenant probably shopped there sparingly, and therefor Target needed to send more generic coupons (and more of them) to entice that person into the store.

It's amazing how much data is out there, and relatively easy to get to (via paid subscriptions to companies that collect and combine publicly available personal information - ever hear of choicepoint? - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ChoicePoint )

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shoppe
January 25, 2010 11:00 AM
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There's no coupon tracking by person going on. your name is on the coupon doesn't mean the coupon redemption is being tracked, and retailers are not marrying credit card data to coupon numbers - in fact, I think mining credit card info is now illegal now that there is sarbanes-oxley and PCI compliance.

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Fred E.
January 25, 2010 10:28 AM
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Yes, they can be tracked if they are mailed to you rather than coming as an insert in a newspaper or magazine.

I used to get cigarette coupons that actually had my name printed on them. They probably started doing that because small business owners were buying them at a discount on eBay to turn in to the cigarette companies for full reimbursement.

(Yes, I used to sell mine after I quit smoking but before they started putting my name on them and that's how I know about it.)

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CTAUGUST
January 25, 2010 10:02 AM
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Many of the coupons CAN be tracked. If you use a credit card to pay for your purchase, Target does (as to other merchants) receive data back on who you are and they marry that data to what you purchased and what coupons you redeemed for the future. It's standard practice and how they know who shops their stores, from what zip codes, and how often.

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madanthony
January 25, 2010 11:37 AM
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I noticed that once I started buying cat food and kitty litter at Target, I started getting occasional pet care product coupons from them. I'm not registered anywhere, but they figured out I have a cat, so I'm guessing they do quite a bit of data mining from their credit card and receipt records.

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tungstencoil
January 25, 2010 9:52 AM
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In a past life I worked in consumer market segmentation and differentiated treatment scenarios. It (probably) goes something like this:

They have a profile for your demographic, and have determined that the brand name coupons will either entice you into the store with a discount on something you typically use/need (this does not sound like the case), or the coupons will entice you to purchase something you either buy somewhere else or for which you purchase a less profitable brand. It sounds as though the demographic for your previous tenant is different.

That's all.

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GearheadGeek
January 25, 2010 9:55 AM
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Perhaps the previous tenant had a Target credit card and is in a different Target \"target group\" or somesuch spam designation?

As to \"mail thievery\" as long as you're not opening anything remotely personal I don't see any reason to feel any guilt. We've been in this house 2.5 years and still get mail addressed to the prior owner and what seem to be his many roommates. Anything that's obviously junkmail and useless gets tossed, anything that looks like it could actually be important or personal gets the Return-To-Sender treatment (he left me no forwarding information.) Junkmail that might be useful gets examined, though I think the previous owner may be the only American who doesn't get Bed, Bath & Beyond coupons. Maybe they just replaced his name with mine when the deed was registered, because I was getting BB&B coupons here (in my name) before we actually moved in.

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pecan 3.14159265
January 25, 2010 9:58 AM
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It's been a conundrum to me for years now. The last place I lived in, I got all sorts of extremely important mail that I always turned over to the main office. For whatever reason, mail from banks and other companies just wasn't forwarded to whoever had moved. The place I'm in now, I don't get any important stuff, just multiple copies of cable company spam and coupons. Every time, the name of the other person has been crossed off, so I think the mail delivery person is fully aware that the other person doesn't live there. But the delivery person still puts the coupons in my mail.

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CTAUGUST
January 25, 2010 9:59 AM
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This is not shenanigans, Joanne. Every company that does direct mail has \"versioning\" be it coupons or catalogs. I shop Target often and just received a very unexciting coupon book in the mail all for items I don't need or want. I trust my neighbors who have never shopped Target or seldom do got a much better book to attactive... to get them to come in.

Not fair to regular customers, but common. Online stores often give their best offers to non-customers also.

I do want to add that junk physical mail is not referred to a \"spam\". This is mail that is addressed, usually, to a person or \"current resident\"... you. Consider it your mail.

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Hogan1
January 25, 2010 10:12 AM
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I don't see whats so difficult to understand about this... It's completely normal and perfectly acceptable for businesses to send different marketing content to different demographics.

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johnjamesthree
January 25, 2010 10:30 AM
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Please understand that Target is not likely to be the one offering the coupons. The suppliers give target money. They determine they want their coupon to go to those who have not tried their product before, or those who will be more likely to use the coupon. The supplier of the Target brand already has a lower margin on their product and does not offer a coupon that is as aggressive.

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Dooley
January 25, 2010 10:35 AM
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When I moved in to my apartment, I was receiving the prior two tennant' mail. Sometimes its a bank or credit card statement. For the first year, I went out of my way to make sure it got sent back (Marked it Return to Sender, and either drop in the mailbox, give to the carrier, or one time I went to the post office to see if I could just stop his mail - they couldn't do that)

So , now, over two years later, I still get the SAME statements, and I just add them to my shredder pile, with my own statements to shred. If this guy hasn't realized he is missing his statements and hasn't notified his bank, and the bank who received a year's worth of \"Return to Sender\" and the bank didn't do something, then it is no longer my problem (except that I have to get these mixed inn with my mail)

As for catalogs & coupons, they are generally all shoved in the center \"magazine\" rack in our apartment's mailbox area (for magazines, and large ads) and most of us in the building either \"just take one of them\" without looking at which apt it was addressed to (Come on, they're all the same) or most of them leave it there and it eventually goes in the recycle bin.

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BBBB
January 25, 2010 11:32 PM
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I have the same situation with my P.O. box. I get mail for previous owners of the box and for people who use a mail drop with a common mistake that sends the mail to me. I tried to be helpful and even called the credit cards, banks, car loans, etc. to tell them to contact the person and get the correct address. They all told me that they can only accept information from the account holder - - unfortunately, even the \"Return to Sender - not at this address\" notice on the returned letter does not give them permission to change the address or even stop sending them. [What if it is being sent back by a disgruntled roommate? Also, if they stop sending the notices to the address of record, they give the debtor an excuse when they get more aggressive in collections.]

As for the marketing by demographics: Demographics is a probability game. The packet might not match YOUR buying habits, but it produces extra profit from your demographic as a whole. [I don't match my demographic profile either.] As mentioned previously, the marketing have many possible goals - sale of the advertised/coupon product, impulse buys while you get to the product, lure you into being a regular customer, confuse you so you change buying habits to their benefit, etc.

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legalguy
January 25, 2010 10:58 AM
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Non-customers always get better deals to entice them in. Regular customers do not need to be lured in. If you use a check or CC to pay, this can be tracked. If you have a Target CC, you will not get the good coupons. I used to get really good coupons that would apply to generics as well as brand names. Then I got a Target CC. Now, I only get a few cents off name brand only stuff. And, look closely at the address on the coupons sent out. Be sure there is something like \"or current resident\" on there. Not that anything would ever happen, but is unlawful to not return those \"junk mail\" things if they don't specifically say something like that. Kind of stupid really since most are \"bulk mailings\" and if not deliverable by the Post Office, the PO is required to dispose of them.
As an added note, I stopped using my Target CC a few months back and have stopped receiving any coupons in the mail. Coincidence?

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Shmonkmonk
January 25, 2010 11:03 AM
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I've never registered with them but I still get their coupons. I'm not sure how they got my info and how they know that I only buy Target brand stuff but they do since that's what the coupons are for. My theory is that they send out feeler coupons to everyone, track who used which coupon, and tailor their approach from there.

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WBenPC
January 25, 2010 11:22 AM
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A lof of times marketing efforts are treated like an expirement... you'll have two or three different types of coupons, and then based on the return, you'll know which was most effective. Obviously the $20 in coupons was targeted to name brands (and it's also possible the name brands paid for a particular number of coupons in this marketing campaign and they were obligated to follow through), whereas the other group gave the consumer a choice.

It's not discriminating or \"shenanigans,\" it's a way to test how effective their marketing is, and give them information for the next batch of coupons they create.

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snarkyboy
January 25, 2010 11:40 AM
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Couldn't this be as simple as him having a Target card and her not? It wouldn't be surprising that they'd send \"better\" coupons to someone who regularly uses a store credit card, versus someone who doesn't.

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Veridian Dynamics
January 25, 2010 12:32 PM
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I got the $43 one this week and I don't have a Target CC so that can't be the only factor.

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JulesNoctambule
January 25, 2010 12:19 PM
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We get Target coupons, and I have absolutely no idea why -- not that I'm complaining about extra coupons, of course! I use their pharmacy but the address label has my husband's name on it, with his former surname to boot, and he's never signed up for anything there that he can recall, old or new name. Adding to the curiousness is that my neighbour, who uses their pharmacy often and has a Target card as well, never receives any coupon books.

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Bohemian
January 25, 2010 2:10 PM
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The Target \"buy any brand of\" coupons are probably part of the check card program. I have a Target check card that I use to get pharmacy points and I received the coupon book with the \"buy any brand of\" coupons.

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gc3160thtuk
January 26, 2010 3:29 AM
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Does it impress you that I used to set fire to the mail of my two former roommates, because one moved out with no notice and the other left owing me a crapload of money but neither of them could be bothered to fill out a change of address form. Oh yeh and I also used a former neighbor's mail as kindling for my wood stove at my old house because first off, she used to fill out credit apps and give bill collectors my address even after she moved cause she didn't want them to know where she lived. I never opened any of her mail, I know this to be true since she actually told me that was why I always got her mail after she moved. Second of all, even before she moved her mailbox fell down due several days of torrential rains and she wouldn't tell her landlord about it so he could fix it or replace it. However, at that time I told the mailperson that they shouldn't ever put her mail in my box and then I told them that once again after she moved and would come back to her old place and pick up her mail out of her old box after they fixed it that she had moved and they finally just stopped delivering any mail to her at all. I mean jeebus, did all these former roomies and neighbors think I was gonna hold on to their mail forever. HELL NO. :) BTW the above story may or may not be a complete fabrication, depending upon if you can get in trouble for setting fire to mail in your own mailbox that was placed there by the postal service.

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MissUpsetter
January 26, 2010 5:12 PM
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These are not related to target credit cards. Trust me - I worked for Target Financial Services for YEARS. I also noticed this strange trend recently....

FIrst off, RED cards are always sent coupons that correspond WITH the credit card and can ONLY work with that credit card. We would often get escalated calls from non card holders that would be upset that \"their\" coupon didn't work. It was set up like that for a reason - people spend on average $100 more per visit when they have the RED card + 10% off coupon. Even if it isn't the 10% off coupon, all coupons that are sent to you will state something about having to be combined with your RED card.

Second, I just moved and put in a change of address with the post office. If you've ever done this, you know that you get a ton of coupons....So, I got one with the $20 deals full of crap I'd never buy. However, my boyfriend who lived with his parents for a while got one around the same time....For $37 worth of coupons. Ah...the plot thickens!! He had NOT put in his change of address except when he moved from his old house to his parent's house.

Although I never worked in coupon development and marketing, I think this has to do with demographic. Age, gender, and what sells the most & least at nearby Target stores.

Target can be pretty scary with what they know about you. That's why I quit :)

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MissUpsetter
January 26, 2010 5:13 PM
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These are not related to target credit cards. Trust me - I worked for Target Financial Services for YEARS. I also noticed this strange trend recently....

FIrst off, RED cards are always sent coupons that correspond WITH the credit card and can ONLY work with that credit card. We would often get escalated calls from non card holders that would be upset that \"their\" coupon didn't work. It was set up like that for a reason - people spend on average $100 more per visit when they have the RED card + 10% off coupon. Even if it isn't the 10% off coupon, all coupons that are sent to you will state something about having to be combined with your RED card.

Second, I just moved and put in a change of address with the post office. If you've ever done this, you know that you get a ton of coupons....So, I got one with the $20 deals full of crap I'd never buy. However, my boyfriend who lived with his parents for a while got one around the same time....For $37 worth of coupons. Ah...the plot thickens!! He had NOT put in his change of address except when he moved from his old house to his parent's house.

Although I never worked in coupon development and marketing, I think this has to do with demographic. Age, gender, and what sells the most & least at nearby Target stores.

Target can be pretty scary with what they know about you. That's why I quit :)

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ATSGinger
January 27, 2010 12:29 AM
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I, along with many others, have been trying to figure out how to trigger getting these coupon booklets. Hoards of us want them because you can use these Target branded coupons along with matching manufacturer coupons. You stack the coupons and use on a sale item and you have nearly free purchases.

If anyone knows how to get these coupon booklets, you'll make about a gazillion people happy. We have brainstormed everything from use of the pharmacy, optical, photography, checks, debit cards, REDcards, new store openings, gift card registries, returns, Target.com orders and on and on and on. We've called Target's corporate offices and they refuse to divulge what action it takes to get coupons. We even thought that complaining via their office may be a trigger.

I'd love to hear from someone who has the real answer. Anyone??? Please, anyone???

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bumpducks
February 15, 2010 7:26 PM
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Here's the timeline for the last 5 years:
1. I opened up a target credit card
2. I moved out of my parents' house and changed the address with my Target visa
3. I got married and changed my surname with my target visa

So explain to me why Target is still mailing coupons to my parents' house, and the label has my new surname on it?

And yes, when I get the coupons from my mom, they are expired or close to expiring, and the good ones are missing.

I emailed target; they say there's nothing they can do about it.

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