What To Buy In Target

[WingingIt101]

Am off to New York in January, child free and just for a few days but with a big Luggage allowance. We will also have a car.
DH has promised me a shopping day and I really want to go to target. I’ve never been before - so wise MN, what should I buy?!

also recommendations of other shops to visit and what to get in them very welcome - we are staying with family in Jersey city if that helps with locations!

thanks in advance!

Target is where I used to go for baby stuff, basic toiletries, cleaning products etc. Wouldn’t bother on holiday unless it’s to hit the medicine aisle for 1000 ibuprofen, melatonin and other stuff you can’t get in the UK.

The exchange rate for shopping in the US isn’t massively in your favour right now but NJ has less sales tax than NYC so if you are set on shopping then I’d plan to do it there.

Target feels like it's just like the biggest Tesco Extras that are dotted around the UK

Not sure you're going to get anything particularly different?

I was in NYC a few months ago and other than a few fridge magnets etc, what we mostly brought back was big tubs of melatonin, ibuprofen and paracetamol 🤣

I should add my DD is coeliac and we’ve been told to get Chex cereal as it’s like shreddies but GF.
melatonin was on my list and I’ll add paracetamol and ibuprofen 🤣

If you need cosmetics, look up what you can get in the US thats different. My favorites are Color pop makeup, EOS lip balms and Bath and Body Works lotions

Medicine is the only stuff I would bring back.

Teeth whitening strips - stronger than even the dentist can do over here. They’re excellent.

Tylenol (paracetamol) PM - the sleep aid is stronger than here too and is very good. Great for a long haul flight.

Personally don’t rate any of the melatonin. Tried lots. I need the strong stuff.

Clothes are more expensive than the UK imho. I fly out every couple of months for work. I don’t bring clothes back. Sweets are also obscenely expensive. Toys too. Sorry to burst your bubble but I don’t think it was like ten years ago where the outlets were amazing etc.

“teeth whitening strips stronger than the dentist can do?” No real. 🤦🏽‍♀️
Google says US credt strips in target are up to 14% carbamide peroxide. A UK dentist can provide a lot higher than that for surgery bleaching and slightly higher for home use. it has you be prescribed to the patient.
as is often said on here “you can rarely get professional results with over the counter products”

There’s a pen in the kitchen / cleaning aisle that gets rid any of any stain…it’s in an orange tube. Tide Pen maybe?

I bought eos body lotions, lip balms, Vaseline body glow roll on thing, ‘secret’ deodorant, tide pens, febreze gel air fresheners for my car (scents we can’t get in the uk🤣), tru fru chocolate covered freeze dried strawberries, some makeup I know we can’t get here. You’ll get people telling you that you’re ridiculous and not to bother but if it’s your thing and that’s what excites you, have fun. You’ll probably find bigger and better targets in NJ than NYC.

I always stock up in Old Navy when I’m in the US.

Omg the tide pen sounds amazing - I’ll be filling a suitcase with those.

excuse me whilst I go for a lie down as I realise I’ve hit peak middle age!

@WingingIt101

Covergirl cosmetics at Target.

TBH if you’re in Jersey City you can take the PATH (subway) trains to Manhatten.

I strongly suggest that you check out Century 21 which is kind of like a much better TK Maxx. (Incidentally it’s called TJ Maxx in the US and exactly the same products are in Marshalls…again both are in Manhatten and in NJ).

Also Century 21 is just a couple of blocks from where the former Twin Towers were located and the PATH trains go to the stunning Oculus station at the WTC, just steps from the 9/11 Memorial and Museum so you could spend the day in that vicinity. Indeed there is also a shopping centre and restaurants at the Oculus:

www.explorewtc.com

www.c21stores.com (Cortland St). It’s not just high end designers, they sell everything there!

www.911memorial.org

Also when out and about, check out Trader Joe’s which was my favourite and inexpensive supermarket when I lived in New Jersey (Short Hills, Millburn township) but there’s one in Hoboken, NJ (which is a nice town near Jersey City) and a few in NYC. You can see nice food items which they sell which you might want to bring back (or things to eat on the go) on their website and locations by State:

www.traderjoes.com

I also liked Old Navy (actually I’m wearing an Old Navy flannel shirt right now) which is the budget arm of the Gap (Banana Republic is the more expensive arm of the Gap clothing empire). They have numerous stores in NJ and NYC.

Enjoy your trip!

Leggings! My buttery soft ones now have a hole after years of heavy wear…bring me back 5 pairs?

my son is also coeliac, the GF instagrammers I follow from the US always seem to mention trader Joe products.

there also seems to be some great GF restaurants in NYC if she’s going to be with you.

Secret deodorant!! Remember that? I used to love it, but it stopped being sold over here.

If your DC like Ryan Trahan (YouTube) - Joyride candy.

Target exclusive Squishmallows.

Peanut butter M&M’s.

Well I bought a super king size quilt from Target (an American type thin cotton one, obviously) after realising how nice they are to sleep under in hot weather. Just a plain one. It was indeed perfect for the short heatwave last summer. So that's my recommendation.

I knew you’d all have some left field yet amazing suggestions! And thank you to the poster who shared the websites.

I’ve added trader joes and old navy to my list. I remember my parents getting babygrows from old navy for my girls when I was pregnant and they were such good long lasting quality!

@yellowgeckoare the leggings target? X

@WingingIt101

Just to add (since I’ve just noticed that you will have a car!):

My local mall was the very large MaSH (Mall at Short Hills) which is deemed ‘upscale’ and has major department stores like Macy’s, Bloomingdales, Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, an Apple Store, designer names etc plus shops like Abercrombie, The Gap, J.Crew, Sephora.

It’s easy to get to from JC; take RT 78 west past Newark airport to Route 24 West. Exit for the mall is at 7C and bear right to enter the mall car parks (free). A good place to eat there is the Cheesecake Factory and there is also an EATALY (Italian food, also in NYC at Chelsea). It’s approx 25 minutes from Jersey City and closes at 9pm daily (shorter hours on Sundays).

Bear in mind that the weather can be frigid in January so a warm indoor mall may be quite appealing!

www.shopshorthills.com (there is a stores directory and directions).

If you want to go further afield (about 55 miles) you may wish to go to Woodbury Commons in the Hudson Valley at the entrance to the Catskills mountains in NY; lots of outlet malls but they’re outside:

www.premiumoutlets.com

There are some cute towns in the area to explore too.
Enjoy!

Acetaminophen is the generic name for tylenol (paracetamol). I find their equivalent of tepe teeth flossers much cheaper than here. As others have said, the days of huge bargains seem to be long gone but sometImes the outlets have really good discounts. Kate Spade bags often work out about £100 equivalent rather than £300+ here

Love love love Cheesecake factory!! Great salads and spinach and artichoke dip and then get a cheesecake ‘to go’ 😋😋😋

Target is the new Whole Foods so check out their food aisles for protein bars, organic chips.
They do a propellant free, organic extra virgin olive oil cooking spray.

Native shower gels and deoderants which are aluminium free.
Favorite day pretzel bites.
100 spf.
Flavoured lip balms.

I went to Canada about 8 years ago and was so disappointed in Old Navy. There were some cargo shorts in terrific quality for DS but nothing for the adults. I hope it's rediscovered itself.

UK dentists can do up to 6%. OTC in US is 10% I believe. I’m also referring to hydrogen peroxide. UK would never do 10%.

I buy them, so I have read the label. Is your box has higher than this I’m surprised your teeth haven’t fallen out.

Here we go:

UK/EU Regulation: In the UK and EU, OTC whitening products are legally only allowed to contain up to 0.1% hydrogen peroxide. Dentists can supply take-home products with up to 6% hydrogen peroxide. This is why many high-strength US brands, such as Crest Professional Effects, are not legally available in retail stores in Europe

You are referring to:

• Carbamide Peroxide (CP): Some products use carbamide peroxide, which breaks down into hydrogen peroxide. The typical OTC range is up to 10% CP, though some kits can contain up to 35% CP.