- Target store employees know all about the best deals in the store.
- Business Insider asked 22 current and former Target team members for ideas on how to save money while shopping.
- A total of 11 current and former employees suggested downloading the store's official app.
- Sign up for Business Insider's retail newsletter, The Drive-Thru.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
Target team members know all about how to save money.
Business Insider asked 22 current and former Target employee to share the best deals in the store.
Half of them recommended downloading Target's official app in order to save when you shop. Others suggested different strategies, like shopping after the holidays or seeking out items on clearance.
Here are some tips on finding the best deals at Target, courtesy of store employees themselves:
DON'T MISS: 31 Target employees shared the most useful thing they've learned at work, and 5 lessons kept coming up
Consider buying Target's in-store brands
Five Target team members suggested springing for Target in-store brands like Archer Farms, Up & Up, and Market Pantry.
"Target brands are mostly just as good or better than the name brand," said a Target team member who's worked at the store for six years.
Describing the Market Pantry brand, an employee of over a year told Business Insider that "... Target's off-brand food — I think the quality is better, not to mention the cheap prices."
"The best deals in my opinion are the Target brand items," a Virginia-based employee told Business Insider. "The Target brand food and household items are pretty awesome."
Check out the items at the front of the store
At Target, Bullseye's Playground — previously known as "The One Spot" — is the section toward the front of the store featuring an assortment of smaller items. A Pittsburgh-area employee said these are often the best deals in the store.
"Yes, it's anything $5 or less — but honestly it has some really great products," the Target team member told Business Insider.
Get a Redcard
Five Target team members previously told Business Insider that it's a big mistake for shoppers to overlook the store's Redcard credit and debit cards.
One Target employee who works in California added that, used in conjunction with Cartwheel, the Redcard is the best deal in the store. Target's Redcard promises to offer customers an extra 5% off on most purchases, free two-day shipping, and an extended return policy.
"If you make the most of it, our prices are the best," a Target employee in Wisconsin told Business Insider.
Shop after the holidays
One California-based Target team member told Business Insider that deal-seekers should look out for clearance items after holidays and at the end of different seasons.
So consider grabbing bags of Halloween candy come November, or snagging some beach gear in September.
"I love stocking up on off-season items when they go on clearance," an employee from Virginia told Business Insider.
Look out for what's on clearance
Six Target team members recommended seeking out clearance items in the store.
According to the blog All Things Target, clearance items at Target are marked by a yellow sticker that states how much an item has been marked down.
Make the most of Target Circle's weekly deals
If you shop at Target and you like saving money, you should download Target Circle — formerly known as Cartwheel. That was by far the most popular money-saving recommendation from Target team members.
A total of 11 employees Business Insider spoke with had good things to say about the store's official app.
"That's where a lot of the deals are," a California-based Target team member told Business Insider.
New Target Circle coupons and deals pop up every week. And a Target team member told Business Insider that when employees recommend coupons, "we genuinely want you to save money, because we all know that Target can get expensive very fast."
Are you a current or former Target team member? Email acain@businessinsider.com.
Visit dearJulius.com to get free premium content for all of your lifestyle needs.
COMMENTS