What Does Target Do With Unsold Or Returned Kitchen Items?

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Since Target opened its first store in 1962, the company has expanded to locations in all 50 states and D.C., selling numerous popular products, including kitchen items — many of which are returned or are unsold. As a company with a strategic vision that incorporates sustainability, you might wonder what Target does with excess inventory, and whether it goes to a landfill or is sent elsewhere.

Target has a multipronged approach to managing its unsold items. According to a discussion on the r/Target subreddit, some product returns are reportedly resold as markdowns, or if they're in an unopened or unused state, they're sometimes simply restocked. Other methods of dealing with excess kitchen items include liquidation sales, clearance sales, and salvage stores. Other returns that don't get purchased are often sold by the pallet or truckload, similar to what happens to returned items at Costco, or the fate of unsold kitchen appliances at Sam's Club. Some of these items are also sold in bulk through the Target Auction Liquidation online storefront on B-Stock.

If you're a fan of in-person shopping and are looking for individual products, Target's clearance section is where unsold items have their last chance at being sold in-store. If these are still not purchased, Target has a lesser-known way for people to buy overstock products at a discount: salvage stores.

Salvage stores encompass resellers such as Goodwill, That's Cheap, Falling Prices, Salvation Army, and more, where prices for many brands can be 40% to 75% off retail. You will find these stores located in numerous states; you can ask Target staff if there's one near you. Online, there are social media-based marketplaces, and on eBay's Bullseye Deals marketplace. If you're looking for Target kitchen items that make any kitchen feel luxe, a salvage store may be the best option — though as the last stop on the line of discounted items, you might not discover the hottest new products there.

Part of Target's sustainability strategy, called Target Forward, is to eliminate waste throughout the company's supply chain and operations. As such, Target focuses some of its efforts on diverting products from entering landfills. According to one Reddit commenter, "Target is on a pretty good path towards reducing waste at every opportunity around the store. As long as each store is following best practice most things are either recycled, composted (if it's expired food), donated, or sold to a thrift shop (think Goodwill)." There are caveats; one comment in the Reddit thread suggests, "That's not happening as much as you think. We truly create soooooo much waste." Perhaps it comes down to how closely each individual store is following these best practices.