Archived Beware

[Day Tripper]

Long time lurker, first post. 14 year employee, retired two years ago, and they are still messing up. I got out because it was just too much, the company is a sinking ship.

They will screw employees any way they can, I've seen it all. It's just unbelievable how inept the corp is. I wish I had NEVER applied for a job there. I have watched company performance since I started there, I learned complete history of Spot. Every thing I see,...it's going down. When I left two tears ago, I predicted they would be gone in five years. A peer that retired six months before, agreed.

At that time, I saw an analyst story that said 2023. I personally know maybe twenty others who retired, quit, etc....it's bad folks. I do feel badly for new hires who are told certain stories. Just don't see the company surviving.

I am an educated person, hold a business degree, and have worked for 47 years before I walked.

 

[RedcardReba]

Long time lurker, first post. 14 year employee, retired two years ago, and they are still messing up. I got out because it was just too much, the company is a sinking ship.

They will screw employees any way they can, I've seen it all. It's just unbelievable how inept the corp is. I wish I had NEVER applied for a job there. I have watched company performance since I started there, I learned complete history of Spot. Every thing I see,...it's going down. When I left two tears ago, I predicted they would be gone in five years. A peer that retired six months before, agreed.

At that time, I saw an analyst story that said 2023. I personally know maybe twenty others who retired, quit, etc....it's bad folks. I do feel badly for new hires who are told certain stories. Just don't see the company surviving.

I am an educated person, hold a business degree, and have worked for 47 years before I walked.

Specifics? Target as a Corp is viewed as making smart moves to survive the obvious tsunami of change in retail. I do see that people would be smart to view this as temp employment. I sometimes laugh at how harsh they are to people. Attitude of entitlement at having a neverending supply of workers. But Corp wise, that works. They dont want to mess with people, benefits, etc.

 

[buliSBI]

Welcome.

That's one of many topics discussed. 9+ years of similar experiences.

 

[Black Sheep 214]

Long time lurker, first post. 14 year employee, retired two years ago, and they are still messing up. I got out because it was just too much, the company is a sinking ship.

They will screw employees any way they can, I've seen it all. It's just unbelievable how inept the corp is. I wish I had NEVER applied for a job there. I have watched company performance since I started there, I learned complete history of Spot. Every thing I see,...it's going down. When I left two tears ago, I predicted they would be gone in five years. A peer that retired six months before, agreed.

At that time, I saw an analyst story that said 2023. I personally know maybe twenty others who retired, quit, etc....it's bad folks. I do feel badly for new hires who are told certain stories. Just don't see the company surviving.

I am an educated person, hold a business degree, and have worked for 47 years before I walked.

I can’t see Spot surviving in it’s present incarnation for more than a couple more years, if that, unless corporate admits that Modernization has failed and sets a new course before it’s too late, if it isn’t already. Sad to see a formerly great company mismanaged into oblivion, but I’ve seen a similar scenario play out at another retailer where it did not end well and that retailer vanished from the face of the earth within a three year period. Unfortunately, Spot seems to have the same sense of desperation, blood in the water and head in the sand...

 

[countingsheep]

I thought zomeone mentioned in another thread spot had enough assets to stave off going under for some years. I dont pretend to understand much of the the state of retail now a days but I do agree spot seems to be in some questionable standing lately despite the load of bull they front to the public

 

[Day Tripper]

Unable to supply specifics, would fill up 2-3 pages here...all phases of ops were and are failing massively. At least in my experience we went from opening 200 stores a year to zero, then the small store idea came along. Thankfully, I dumped my stock before the data breach.

I have found instances such as a class action lawsuit by TM's over stock fraud, no public acknowledgement of a VP quitting with no notice a few years ago,...it just is too much bad info if you know how to find it and know certain people. If I participated in the stock fraud suit, it would have little impact on me, as I lost $900 in stock value. By then I was leaving any way, and just wanted to wash my hands of Spot and be clear of anything.

Look at historical stock price trends, etc. I say they were in much better shape in 2003 than now.

 

[Day Tripper]

Haven't looked in since joined,...I spoke with a former peer, and he happily informed me he is quitting. He's not retiring, just had enough and quitting.

I may add, in my department, all the TM's in my District were very concerned about Sam ( not real name ),....he had aged severely from the stress, looked like he was 70 years old when he was actually much younger. Sam's doctor advised him to quit three years ago or suffer the outcome.

Sam had over 25 years in, he trained me when I got into the last position I held in 2007. He was one of the best in the country,...he was asked by the DTL, off the record, to transfer to the store he is leaving. I also worked for the same DTL when he was a STL just starting out, and later on as my DTL.

Out of 12 people I keep in touch with from Spot, only one remains. She will be retiring within 3 years. That is if the company lasts that long IMO.

One of the 12, transferred to the then #1 store in the nation. I saw that store, it was a monster. He left in 2012 to pursue private business. One went to work for Amazon, four started their own business, one retired, two graduated college and got much better jobs, three others just got better jobs.

 

[Ashfromoldsite]

Target will be just fine for many years to come.

 

[qmosqueen]

Target will be just fine for many years to come.

Said executives at toys r us a year ago

 

[garbage]

Target will be just fine for many years to come.

I agree with this. Out of all major brick and mortor retailers, Target is actually doing pretty well.

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

Yeppers! Stock is strong

 

[balthrop]

Said executives at toys r us a year ago

and sears, JCP, KB toys, and so so many others. Target took the wrong path. still time to turn the machine around but all the people are to deep in to the kool-aid to realize they are headed down

 

[Times Up]

Said executives at toys r us a year ago

TRU wasn't in the best shape before it was acquired by a private equity firm that ended up sticking it with billions in debt. And be throw in the Great Recession.

 

[Times Up]

That is if the company lasts that long IMO.

It will. It's assests exceed it's liabilities by billions.

 

[qmosqueen]

I agree with this. Out of all major brick and mortor retailers, Target is actually doing pretty well.

Pretty well with lots of returns and still sending back pallets of salvage.

 

[Frontlanegirl]

Pretty well with lots of returns and still sending back pallets of salvage.

Pretty sad when a lot of my returns go salvage because of the condition of the merchandise on return. Gotta be the yes desk.

 

[Planosss]

I am always amazed at people who LEAVE Target, and then say “Target” is going down.
These are the kind of people that value themselves so much and are under the impression, that because they are no longer part of the enterprise, that it’s doomed. Think of the kind of ego that requires that kind of thought process. Think of what kind of a TM mentality they had on the job. Second guessing every decision that made their butt hurt, and therefore not doing/carrying out a job to the fullest.
I am not saying Target is invincible, many giants have fallen, but its not because Larry the flow TM couldn’t finish a Uboat in 45 minutes.
Target is strong, it compd 5% OLY. Digital footprint grew by over 125% in many many stores.
Target may someday go down , but it won’t be because you and your friend quit. I am kind of happy that alot of the old toxicity is leaving the stores , hopefully it’ll be replaced by a more agile, appreciative and optimistic work force.

 

[Not My Name]

I am always amazed at people who LEAVE Target, and then say “Target” is going down.
These are the kind of people that value themselves so much and are under the impression, that because they are no longer part of the enterprise, that it’s doomed. Think of the kind of ego that requires that kind of thought process. Think of what kind of a TM mentality they had on the job. Second guessing every decision that made their butt hurt, and therefore not doing/carrying out a job to the fullest.
I am not saying Target is invincible, many giants have fallen, but its not because Larry the flow TM couldn’t finish a Uboat in 45 minutes.
Target is strong, it compd 5% OLY. Digital footprint grew by over 125% in many many stores.
Target may someday go down , but it won’t be because you and your friend quit. I am kind of happy that alot of the old toxicity is leaving the stores , hopefully it’ll be replaced by a more agile, appreciative and optimistic work force.

Uh, Target is definitely headed to the shitter. That doesn't mean it's going to close up shop today, tomorrow or 5 years from now. But it's clear that they have no real idea what they're doing and the death is likely to be very slow and take many, many years if not a decade or more.

They've either got to increase payroll expenses in stores (lol) or replace the workers with robots (not there yet) if they want to continue on successfully deep into the future.

But Target is in SIGNIFICANTLY WORSE SHAPE operationally than it was 15 years ago. It's not even close.

The store brand has deteriorated so much since around 2007 that they're not even the same company. Target mostly got as big as it did for two reasons... clean, organized stores... and exceptional guest service. There were other reasons like "cheap chic" but... guess what? Those two reasons don't exist anywhere near the level they did years ago because you've had two successive CEOs that care more about short term profit than long term company success. Ulrich was the last one that knew what he was doing... or dare I say... cared about the long term success of the company.

The biggest reason people still shop at Target is because it's "not Wal-Mart" rather than the fact that it's "Target." When your biggest selling point is the fact that you AREN'T someone else, your days are numbered. As I said, it's likely to take a really long ass time, but the current ship is headed in that direction, no doubt in my mind... not for one second. You're naive if you believe anything else.

When's the last time anyone heard the phrase "best company ever"... as in... what Target was striving towards... lol at some point they just said "fuck it, we're not even going to pretend anymore" and suddenly you never heard it again. Hahaha.

 

[Planosss]

For sure, I see a downward trend.
Look at all that lost market cap. You have the right to your own opinion, but not your own facts.

 

[Not My Name]

Yes because a stock price is the only indicator of company health. Wow. Clueless.

The stock has gone up because sales have gone up despite the stores being less operationally sound AND they've tried to continually cut expenses. You can't continue in those same two directions forever at the same time. That's not how reality works.

 

[Planosss]

Yes because a stock price is the only indicator of company health. Wow. Clueless.

The stock has gone up because sales have gone up despite the stores being less operationally sound AND they've tried to continually cut expenses. You can't continue in those same two directions forever at the same time. That's not how reality works.

Oh, ok. Reality is just hypotheticals, and pipe dreams, not actual hard numbers and facts.
Also, we are in the business of SELLING. You admit that SALES are STRONG. What the problem is? Larry getting butt hurt cause he/she has to push a uboat in 45 minutes?

Edit:- continually cutting expenses , yet sales are going up? That’s not sound business? Man, thats some thinking.

 

[Not My Name]

The biggest problem is that Target is deteriorating its core brand and what made it successful in the first place. I won't say it again.

 

[Planosss]

The biggest problem is that Target is deteriorating its core brand and what made it successful in the first place. I won't say it again.

Its more successful than ever though, in its history, its never made so much money, its on track to make even more. What is the real issue here?

 

[IWishIKnew]

The biggest problem is that Target is deteriorating its core brand and what made it successful in the first place. I won't say it again.

What data do you have to back this up?

 

[HRZone]

Target has done what they needed to do to stay relevant. They mobilized quickly and picked up their online game. I will say this, the current pace is unsustainable. While Cornell bragged about our sales comp this winter, a lot of analyst point out those increased sales came at the price of profitability.

It's really important that the company deal with the issues in grocery/ inventory/ logistics. It will catch up to us at some point.