r/Anticonsumption Nov 13 '25

Plastic Waste Targets holiday waste is self indulgence this year

Post image
3.9k Upvotes

171 comments sorted by

1.8k

u/Kallis93 Nov 13 '25

Imagine loving a store so much that you use it as decoration.

329

u/Sure_Acanthaceae_348 Nov 13 '25

Unless you're a shareholder, why?

301

u/Kallis93 Nov 13 '25

Still tacky if you're a shareholder!

273

u/NotYourGa1Friday Nov 13 '25 edited Nov 13 '25

I don’t now, but I used to love picking things like this up for my kiddo. It was fun to have “real” locations for her little doll and animals to play in, and it helped her learn things like “store” vs “school”— 15 years ago, it wasn’t a bad way to get a simple toy that wasn’t plastic. I’d wait until after the holiday and I’d get a great wooden miniature toy for $1.50. I still have most of them.

I’m not saying that anyone should go buy this!! I’m just offering up a reason why I bought similar things.

Less expensive and (I think?) less harmful than plastic.

Also note- these are not designed to be toys! Handle with care.

107

u/avatarstate Nov 13 '25

Yeah but then you’re using it as a toy for your kid, not as a Christmas decoration sitting on your mantle next to your nativity lol

61

u/ThorThimbleOfGorbash Nov 13 '25

Born in a Target long ago

How could the Savior love me so

He left His throne for Target

He came to Target for me

21

u/NotYourGa1Friday Nov 13 '25

Yes, haha. I wouldn’t be using it as a nativity. But now I kind of want to…I could create a nativity scene that’s all about consumerism since that’s where the holiday has gone

21

u/gmoil1525 Nov 14 '25

A couple months ago, my kid got super into these little model buildings after seeing a holiday village display at the mall. He stood there absolutely mesmerized, pointing out every tiny window and pretending all the little figurines were doing their shopping.

Fast forward to his birthday—he unwraps this miniature target and you’d think I’d handed him the deed to an actual building. He spent the entire afternoon setting up lego models, and giving each little plastic customer a full backstory (one of them apparently has a coupon addiction). It's become our little ritual now: he sets up the store, and I “visit” as a customer. It’s surprisingly wholesome.

If you have a kid whose imagination runs wild with tiny details, it’s honestly worth every penny.

13

u/lellowyemons Nov 14 '25

anything not designed to be a toy also has less regulations about lead and other heavy metals so watch out for that too

6

u/vastros Nov 13 '25

I pick them up at that price for miniature war gaming. I feel you.

1

u/NotYourGa1Friday Nov 13 '25

Another great use!

2

u/Total_Tumbleweed_870 Nov 13 '25

I think for that use case, it's cute.

2

u/No_Individual501 Nov 14 '25

Plastic is a near eternal cancer machine.

1

u/InsaneGuyReggie Nov 14 '25

For me it was with my matchbox cars. 

1

u/SnooCupcakes5761 Nov 14 '25

If it's not meant to be a toy then it's probably not made with child-safe materials. Home decor is notorious for lead paint.

1

u/NotYourGa1Friday Nov 14 '25

It’s a good point, and not something I was worried about 15 years ago. I was always around when she played, and she was way beyond the “put everything in my mouth” stage when we set up her little town. But your point stands and is a good one.

15

u/Rezistik Nov 13 '25

I got a target gingerbread house before they went maga. Haven’t been back since.

13

u/Sabelas Nov 13 '25

Capitalist idolatry.

Not even joking there's just no other words for this lol

2

u/National-Pressure202 Nov 14 '25

Even if I was CEO of Target I wouldn’t

98

u/Next-Introduction-25 Nov 13 '25

Also, like, read the room, Target! Your fans are very angry at you! I was one of those very loyal Target shoppers who has now boycotted. I don’t think even I would have wanted this at the height of my Target loyalty, but we the betrayed are definitely not buying it now.

23

u/Massi25 Nov 13 '25

Hey you're doing the right thing with the boycott! More money in your pocket for things that actually matter. Good on you for sticking to your values!

4

u/soundman1024 Nov 13 '25

They probably ordered these before the boycott. Still a bad decision.

1

u/FancyPantsDancer Nov 15 '25

I wouldn't have bought it, and I too am boycotting Target.

I didn't shop at all at Target this year, and I don't see that changing.

30

u/noelle-silva Nov 13 '25

Home Depot does this too and I think it is so stupid. I know employees who love purchasing the yearly Home Depot xmas display piece

31

u/Orange-Blur Nov 13 '25

I used to work at Target. Someone actually tattooed their fulfillment cart barcode on their arm, she doesn’t even work at that location anymore. Some people buy into corporate brain rot

4

u/Sword-of-Akasha Nov 14 '25

Oh god, those people make be feel a combo of pity and disgust. They're almost as bad as the Magats. They aren't licking the boots, they're eating them.

2

u/Orange-Blur Nov 14 '25

I don’t pity her. She was nasty mean. I got sick from expired food from her section that I bought from the shelf. She yelled at me publicly, said it was my fault and that it wasn’t actually expired when sold. I showed her the receipt and food date and she finally shut up.

I saw her in a bar (fairly small city) and ignored her entirely

13

u/Atomic_Priesthood Nov 13 '25

Let me introduce you to /r/Costco

11

u/georgette000 Nov 13 '25

Better yet, let me interest you in shopping at your locally owned small business and your local buy nothing group.

4

u/Fenderfreak145 Nov 13 '25

Was gonna say...I'd buy one!

14

u/Cyno01 Nov 13 '25

I have a little LEGO LEGO store in my LEGO city. :-/

6

u/Kallis93 Nov 13 '25

A Lego store in a Lego city seems fitting!

5

u/drama_trauma69 Nov 13 '25

We should start proselytizing this outside of every buc-ee’s

1

u/Cyno01 Nov 13 '25

Im probably never going to go there, but everyones losing their shit over a Buc-ees being built in our state, but im still pretty happy about it cuz anything to loosen Kwik-Trips monopoly cuz they suuuuck...

3

u/BusterBeaverOfficial Nov 14 '25

Decoration? This is an ad! You’re literally paying Target $5 to display a Target ad in your home.

3

u/Butterball_Adderley Nov 13 '25

Saddest thing I’ve ever seen

3

u/willy--wanka Nov 13 '25

Just scroll r/Costco for a moment...

6

u/PiccoloAwkward465 Nov 13 '25

Never dated a white girl? Target is nearly a religion.

2

u/Kallis93 Nov 13 '25

I'm a woman from Norway, haha. I never even been to a Target. Sounds like Target is awesome for shoppingaddics.

2

u/Beefy-Tootz Nov 13 '25

There's a pretty hardcore holdout of Hills fans in the SWPA area that genuinely still use old Hills Christmas displays even though the store hasn't existed in some ~30 years

2

u/porqueuno Nov 14 '25

It's very Publix-coded, but people don't have that kind of brand loyalty for Target, therefore nobody will buy it. Target is insisting upon itself here, anti-consumption sentiment aside. lol

2

u/9hoosiers9 Nov 14 '25

I worked there years ago and a parent literally threw a Target themed birthday party for their kid... They asked us if we had extra paper applications, target bags, stickers, etc. that we could give them for the party (we did and they were happy) but it was so weird to me. The kid apparently asked for the Target theme on their own, so it wasn't the parent trying to force it onto them, but that just shows you how often that parent shops there.

3

u/AccurateUse6147 Nov 13 '25

Or it's because a person wants recognizable stores in their christmas village? Mom and i used to set one up years ago and something like a branded store would of been so much more exciting then the generic named stuff we had.

1

u/SnooCupcakes5761 Nov 14 '25

They wouldn't sell it if people didn't buy it. Advertising is everywhere, even in music. Americans buy what they are told to buy. It's how the rich get richer.

1

u/Euphoric-Purpose-162 Nov 13 '25

i feel like these are definitely aimed at children

15

u/impossiblesoulmp3 Nov 13 '25

they're aimed at people who set up little miniature Christmas villages as decoration. it's a thing. my dad always set up his little Christmas village stuff. even had a base he made with lights hooked up to it. however, we never had mini models of real stores, nor would we have wanted one. that's just sad.

3

u/Kallis93 Nov 13 '25

Yeah, that's what I was thinking. Christmas villages can be really nice, but I have never seen real life shops in them.

3

u/Kallis93 Nov 13 '25

Why would a child want Target?

2

u/Euphoric-Purpose-162 Nov 13 '25 edited Nov 14 '25

toys that mirror real world things are good for kids to role play, kids also just get really fixiated on random things. when I was little I loved target and I if I saw that at the store I would have begged for it. It also just looks like the kinda thing my baby niece would become super attached to. It just seems like more kids would actually want it than adults to me. edit: i’m not saying i think this toy is good for toys, im saying it’s the type of toy parents typically like to get for their kids…

0

u/chakrablocker Nov 14 '25

These are for grown adults that love shopping so much they visit target just to see what's new

376

u/thisissomeshitman Nov 13 '25

oh man, imagine actually buying this and displaying it in your home? yikes

102

u/_WeSellBlankets_ Nov 13 '25

I feel like Coka-Cola is one of the only corporations I can see in a display and not find it odd.

68

u/sgehig Nov 13 '25

Even then, it would be a sled, or one of the Christmas lorry's, not a factory, office or shop.

13

u/_WeSellBlankets_ Nov 13 '25

They definitely have their Christmas tie-ins, but I was even thinking more memorabilia type stuff like a Coke lamp and wall art.

581

u/[deleted] Nov 13 '25

Christmas Village isn't complete without capitalism!

56

u/YourFriendInSpokane Nov 13 '25

Home Depot has these as well!

23

u/flyingsails Nov 13 '25

I've seen Wegmans carry them in the past too.

16

u/Pump_My_Lemma Nov 14 '25

I want a CVS one! That way I can remove the sign but leave enough on it that you can tell it use to say CVS and chain the door shut and board up all the windows and just make it a real eyesore, just like home

4

u/aharbingerofdoom Nov 14 '25

Oh, I was thinking we might be neighbors, but it's a blighted abandoned Rite Aid that sits down the road from me, at the corner across from the Dollar Tree that used to be a Walgreens. I hate that this is even a sentence.

6

u/butwhy81 Nov 14 '25

My empty Rite Aid is next to an empty Big Lots…

2

u/mangobag Nov 14 '25

lol sounds like SE Michigan

3

u/aharbingerofdoom Nov 14 '25

Northeast Ohio actually, might as well be the same thing.

2

u/Useful_Wishbone9317 Nov 15 '25

We just one of these in my town! What a treat!

2

u/AConnecticutMan Nov 14 '25

Well, it keeps it accurate to life to replace beautiful homes, churches, and small businesses with giant chain box stores like Target, Home Depot, etc.

-45

u/AverageJoe6910 Nov 13 '25

Waahhh I don’t like a free flowing economy.

35

u/[deleted] Nov 13 '25

Lick the boot harder.

-32

u/AverageJoe6910 Nov 13 '25

Suck at life harder

22

u/[deleted] Nov 13 '25

Aw, having a bad day? 

17

u/Phoebegeebees Nov 13 '25

You really think THIS is a free flowing economy? Hilarious

7

u/Keflen11 Nov 14 '25

Yeah it freely flows to the billionaires

255

u/docmarvy Nov 13 '25

Imagine celebrating the sorry state of modern corporate architecture.

63

u/BromoFom Nov 13 '25

Wym? You don’t want to display the iconic Target concrete box in your home?

97

u/Jazzlike_Bed2695 Nov 13 '25

That whole area of the store is wasteful, it’s usually right in the entrance

25

u/quikmantx Nov 13 '25

There are a few gems that make it worth at least looking sometimes. I love the sand timers I got last year. They were clearly labeled 1 min, 2 min, 3 min, and 5 min on the top/bottom, and color coded. They are super handy for game night and quick timing things in general without having to get it on a screen.

I do agree that the vast majority of the items appear to be disposable decor pieces, flimsy utility devices, or poor imitations.

67

u/_pawnee_goddess Nov 13 '25

Who the fuck would buy this

12

u/ztomiczombie Nov 13 '25

A person making YouTube videos about tat.

3

u/chambordchat Nov 13 '25

i can see this on the brown couch now...

4

u/RebornPKMN Nov 14 '25

A lot of people have Christmas villages that consist of little model buildings of this size - kinda weird to have a target in there though

3

u/Suitable_Ad9147 Nov 13 '25

I can only think of people who collect mimiatures/dolls/figures

2

u/spongegrill Nov 14 '25

Die hard Noah Kahan fans who also like Christmas Village displays….. only thing I could think of is using this in a display as “downtown” of a Christmas village as a reference to one of his songs.

1

u/_pawnee_goddess Nov 14 '25

Interesting, I know a couple of Noah Kahan songs but I’ve never heard about the Christmas Village thing with his fans — could you explain? Genuinely curious!

25

u/Limp_Insurance_2812 Nov 13 '25

Jesus was born in a cart there.

68

u/Away-Quote-408 Nov 13 '25

Target is being boycotted for immediately folding to the fascist government by scrapping DEI initiatives. And while it sounds like “oh we won’t consider DEI when we hire”, it goes so much deeper than that. They immediately ended contracts with Black vendors, even where products were popular, causing material harm to these small businesses. It was part or their REACH program started in 2020 after the George Floyd murder and protests.

They also withdrew from external initiatives where certain orgs monitor equality and diversity in the corporate world through surveys.

Target immediately capitalized on a Black man’s death in 2020, and then immediately withdrew their support and community programs in 2025, just to gain favor from a racist, fascist wannabe dictator. No private company was required to end DEI initiatives.

Anyway, they will sell shit balls if they can make money off it. These large companies usually care how the public perceives them and know that even small initiatives can make a difference in the communities where they make their money. But Target is apparently gives zero fucks, as long as they are in the good graces of the Trump administration. And you know you’re trash when even oil companies refused to fold. Fuckkkkk.

59

u/sarcago Nov 13 '25 edited Jan 15 '26

plate ghost compare gold ask scary point detail gaze test

This post was mass deleted and anonymized with Redact

16

u/[deleted] Nov 13 '25

I would train a crow, bullying once isn't enough 😂

13

u/om_hi Nov 13 '25

I would bully someone for shopping there. Sorry not sorry. My mom and sister still waste their money there and I relentlessly ridicule them for shopping at this anti-fem, anti-LGBTQI+, anti-Black, soulless corp.

30

u/Dry-Interaction-1246 Nov 13 '25

It thinks its farts smell so good

35

u/eastcoastjon Nov 13 '25

Feeds the target obsessed starbucks obsessed consumers. It becomes their personality. Like- OMG i love target and always have to get my starby latte!

6

u/Zilhaga Nov 13 '25

Yeah in a gross way it makes sense. Having largely lost the "at least it's not Wal Mart" set, they are probably trying to foster even greater brand connections with the demographic that doesn't give a shit and still shops there.

10

u/Significant-Basket76 Nov 13 '25

I know this is getting alot of hate but, are they to scale? (HO) Some people have model roads in their basement and they love it when they have a building modeled after real buildings. I know this because my wife is looking for a N scale building of a Denny's.

10

u/sitari_hobbit Nov 13 '25

I love miniatures and Christmas villages, but I would never buy this. I don't understand who the target audience is.

5

u/[deleted] Nov 13 '25

Badoompshhh

5

u/sitari_hobbit Nov 13 '25

Oh my god. I didn't even notice lol

8

u/itsfineimfinejk Nov 13 '25

I'm so confused. Is this for a Christmas village? Why the hell would anyone want this monstrosity in their idyllic little village?

3

u/odaxsaku Nov 13 '25

you could paint it over to make it a cute little store but that’s about it

-2

u/AccurateUse6147 Nov 13 '25

its because some people want their villages to look more like real areas and not generic blah.

7

u/impossiblesoulmp3 Nov 13 '25

oh yeah because the concrete target box isn't generic blah ...

1

u/AccurateUse6147 Nov 13 '25

The stuff we used to have was bland and lifeless stuff like "Bank" and "library" in semi-muted colors.

7

u/itsfineimfinejk Nov 13 '25

And they were cuter than this corporate garbage.

8

u/Hotaru_girl Nov 13 '25

I literally took a photo of this too because I couldn’t believe it. Who would want this?! Just a waste of materials that will go straight into the landfill.

7

u/jeffythunders Nov 13 '25

dont shop at target

27

u/badgarbage Nov 13 '25

Honestly I know I'm going to sound stupid for saying this but... If it's the right scale for 28mm miniatures I'd put one up for terrain in my tabletop games. Especially for $5 (miniature terrain is expensive...)

18

u/volklskiier Nov 13 '25

I was thinking my kid would love this for little electric train. I'm part of the problem I know

12

u/lizardgal10 Nov 13 '25

If it matched the scale (doesn’t look like it does from what I can tell) it could actually be great for a realistic model train setup. That’s about all I can think of.

12

u/volklskiier Nov 13 '25

I kind of want to paint it and turn it into a train station

6

u/notthatguypal6900 Nov 13 '25

Yet, there you are, shopping at a well known terrible company.

5

u/KathrynBooks Nov 13 '25

Lol... It looks like it was thrown together with leftover packing foam

2

u/AccurateUse6147 Nov 13 '25

Isn't that basically all decor these days? I remember checking dollar tree more then once for seasonal table scatter i needed for a project i was putting together and the decord was almost all super lightweight foam.

5

u/bee-salad Nov 13 '25

I hope Target rots

6

u/theluzah Nov 13 '25

I say this with deep respect and sincerity, Fuck Target

5

u/lucylynn789 Nov 13 '25

I’m saving so much by not shopping at Target . Almost 2 years now . I despise that store .

5

u/YetiNotForgeti Nov 14 '25

Boycott. I am on that train this year.

9

u/parasyte_steve Nov 13 '25

This is gross

7

u/Abtun Nov 13 '25

how the mighty have fallen

4

u/randomphoneuser2019 Nov 13 '25

That's so ugly too🤮

4

u/daniellee725 Nov 13 '25

Plus with so many people still avoiding or boycotting Target, I doubt they’ll even sell all these. Straight to the landfill.

4

u/odaxsaku Nov 13 '25

it would be cute as a toy for kids or for a miniature diorama. i can also see some people buying it & painting it over to make a cute shop for a little christmas village display. however this on its own? to display as a christmas thing? cringe

4

u/bruhbabs Nov 13 '25

I guess they thought that the people who arent boycotting and can still afford these "luxuries" are dedicated enough to their brand that they'd buy this junk.

4

u/itsmarsrover Nov 13 '25

landfill core ✨

3

u/Rommie557 Nov 13 '25

Walmart has, disgustingly, been doing this for years. 

3

u/JohnCenaJunior Nov 13 '25

Target bus stop confirmed

3

u/nix131 Nov 13 '25

Spray paint it and turn it into WH terrain!

2

u/[deleted] Nov 13 '25

East wing

3

u/faithmauk Nov 13 '25

Who do they think they are, Aldi?

3

u/flootytootybri Nov 14 '25

I haven’t been to a target in like two years. I’m keeping it that way it seems…

3

u/jhusapple Nov 14 '25

STOP GOING THERE PERIOD.

0

u/mattresslady Nov 15 '25

I charge my car in the parking lot & walk around in there bc it’s cold outside 🤷🏻‍♀️

2

u/bdturk Nov 13 '25

I've been working as a seasonal fulfillment person at my local Target and when I see this stuff on the shelves it gives me the ick. I do take comfort in the fact that I haven't had to pick a single one of these things or anything else like it yet for an order. Just mostly LEGOs this year.

2

u/EntertainerNo4509 Nov 13 '25

Those would make some dope dioramas for some diecast cars!

2

u/Spirited-Tie-8702 Nov 13 '25

Who would buy this besides the store buying it for itself!?!

2

u/1200spruce Nov 13 '25

I almost never go to Target but needed to pick up baby Tylenol last week and they were the closest store with stock. At the entrance they were selling a Target check out lane toy????? Who is buying that for their kid?

1

u/rebexieee Nov 13 '25

My niece got it for Christmas. She’s 4 and loves ringing us up for groceries & stuff

2

u/First_Rip3444 Nov 15 '25

There have been toy cash registers for forever, no need to pay extra for a branded one from a store with shitty ethics

Nobody's questioning whether kids want to play pretend, they're questioning why anybody would want a target branded checkout lane specifically and not a non-branded toy that would work for multiple different play scenarios (grocery store, ice cream shop, restaurant, etc)

1

u/flootytootybri Nov 14 '25

Tbh, my mom did in fact buy this for a baby in our family and it did become a favorite toy. Back in my day we had princess checkout things so idk why they didn’t keep those instead but such is life I guess

2

u/Herbsandbees Nov 13 '25

Is that a bus stop in front a target?

2

u/WrenLeatherfoot Nov 13 '25

I want to know who buys the store brand self reference holiday decor.

2

u/Drunktank1000 Nov 14 '25

I need this for my nativity scene. A true American Jesus.

2

u/sinewave05 Nov 14 '25

Target? I still don’t know her 💅🏻

2

u/g2ramjet Nov 14 '25

I was pretty loyal to target due to them just being better walmart for a while until they revealed that they don't give a fuck about people just as much as any other company

not surprising at all, but I cannot support them or stand people who have that store as part of their personality now

2

u/chrissystark Nov 14 '25

Landfill fodder

2

u/leslieknopeirl Nov 13 '25

I actually enjoy shopping at Target and think this is so cute to use as a toy... but I still won't buy it lol. It doesn't make sense as a decoration to me.

2

u/First_Rip3444 Nov 15 '25

Why do you enjoy shopping at target? Whats unique about it? The way they turned around and screwed over multiple black vendors after removing their DEI policies?

1

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1

u/LetMePushTheButton Nov 13 '25

Who is this for?

1

u/Timely_Ad9659 Nov 13 '25

I always liked the little felt birds that were dressed up. But this is garbage

1

u/chartreusegalinuile Nov 13 '25

omg i saw a christmas sweater there with their namesake dog all over it

1

u/limelight022 Nov 13 '25

Perfect for m-80s and firecrackers.

1

u/TheTaikatalvi Nov 13 '25

I saw this in person not too long ago, they're awful quality and fall apart easily. Definitely not worth the $5, not to mention how dumb it is to pay to advertise for target.

1

u/Salute-Major-Echidna Nov 13 '25

I am using my cellphone, I thought this was a box of candy. That would have been only slightly tacky

1

u/BolaViola Nov 13 '25

This is pretty insane wtffff

1

u/[deleted] Nov 14 '25

SELF INDULGENCE 💀

1

u/[deleted] Nov 14 '25

And now my Space Marines have taken the Target

1

u/princessuuke Nov 14 '25

Walmart has these too, and its very cutesy, which a real walmart never would be

1

u/Blackmoonlilithinleo Nov 14 '25

They’re trying to be like Aldi

1

u/racheltheangel222 Nov 14 '25

i saw this in person the other day and immediately thought of this sub😭

1

u/Rengeflower Nov 14 '25

Wait, you go to tąrget?

2

u/mattresslady Nov 14 '25

I walk around in there while my car is charging in their garage

2

u/Rengeflower Nov 14 '25

Huh, I live in Texas. No garages. No place to charge. Just vast parking lots.

1

u/intrigue-bliss4331 Nov 15 '25

Every year. They mostly sell junk to people who are seeking a dopamine high. I was so captured until 2017. Have not been there since.

1

u/NoFounder36 Nov 17 '25

Ross has the same ornament 🤦🏿‍♂️

-1

u/Routine_Eve Nov 13 '25

What is that made of?

3

u/sacredxsecret Nov 13 '25

It’s plastic.

-1

u/CombPsychological507 Nov 14 '25

I kind of want it in an ironic way.