Retail is weird. One minute you're begging for inventory because of global shipping clogs, and the next, you're sitting on a mountain of kitchen mixers and patio furniture that nobody wants. That was the bizarre reality of Target Black Friday 2022. It wasn't just another sale. It was a massive course correction for a company that had spent the previous two years trying to keep its head above water during a supply chain nightmare.
Honestly, if you walked into a Target that November, you probably felt the desperation. Not in a bad way, but in a "we have too much stuff and it all has to go" way. It was a pivot. Target’s CEO, Brian Cornell, had actually warned everyone earlier that year that their inventory was too high. They were aggressive. They had to be.
The Strategy Behind Target Black Friday 2022
The 2022 holiday season was a monster. Most people don't realize that Target started their "Black Friday" deals on October 6th. Yeah, October. They called it the Target Deal Days. Why so early? Inflation was eating everyone's lunch. Gas prices were high, eggs were getting expensive, and the retail giant knew that if they didn't grab your wallet early, there wouldn't be any money left by late November.
It worked. Sorta.
They focused heavily on their "Deal of the Day" program. This was smart because it kept people checking the app constantly. You'd wake up, check your phone, and see a 50% discount on a PowerXL Air Fryer or a specific Lego set. It created a sense of urgency that a week-long circular just can't match.
Price Matching and the Safety Net
Target did something pretty bold with their Holiday Price Match Guarantee. If you bought something starting October 6th and the price dropped at Target later in the season, they’d give you the difference. This was a direct response to "buyer's remorse" during a volatile economy. They also matched competitors like Amazon and Walmart, provided you could prove the price. It was a protective play to keep people from showrooming—that thing where you look at a TV in Target but buy it on your phone from somewhere else.
What Actually Sold?
The data from that year shows a massive divide between "needs" and "wants." People were buying groceries and household essentials, but Target used Black Friday to dump the discretionary stuff.
Electronics were the big bait.
The Nintendo Switch OLED was everywhere. Usually, consoles are excluded from the best coupons, but in 2022, they were bundling them with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe to move units. TVs were also hitting floor-bottom prices. We saw 65-inch 4K sets from brands like Westinghouse and Element for under $300. Cheap? Yes. High quality? Not really, but for a guest room or a kid's playroom, they flew off the shelves.
The Apple Factor
Target is basically an Apple Store with a better snack aisle. For Target Black Friday 2022, the real "pro move" wasn't a direct discount on the iPhone or iPad. It was the gift cards. They’d offer a $50 or $100 Target Gift Card if you bought an Apple Watch or an iPad Pro. It’s a genius move for the business because that gift card ensures you’ll be back in December to buy more stuff. It locks you into their ecosystem.
Kitchenware and Home Goods
Remember the Air Fryer craze? It was still peaking. Brands like Ninja and KitchenAid saw massive markdowns. Specifically, the KitchenAid Professional 5-Quart Stand Mixer dropped to around $249, which was a huge deal at the time given the previous shortages. They also went heavy on their owned brands, like Threshold and Magnolia’s Hearth & Hand. These have higher margins, so they could afford to slash prices by 30% or 40% to fill those red carts.
The Logistics of the 2022 Sale
Target's "Drive Up" service was the MVP of 2022. It’s funny looking back, but this was the year they really perfected the "double tap"—that thing where you tell them you’re on your way and then tell them you’re there. They added the ability to get a Starbucks drink delivered to your car along with your Black Friday haul in some locations.
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The logistics were fascinating. Because they had over-ordered in early 2022, their warehouses were bursting. They weren't just shipping from distribution centers; they were shipping from the backrooms of your local store. About 95% of their total sales that year were fulfilled by their stores. That’s a massive logistical feat that Walmart and Amazon struggle to replicate at that scale.
Comparison: Target vs. The World
Walmart went for the "Deals for Days" approach, spreading things out over three or four different events. Target was more streamlined. While Walmart focused on the absolute lowest price on "burner" items (laptops with 4GB of RAM that barely work), Target tried to keep it a bit more "premium."
They leaned into their RedCard (now Target Circle Card) 5% discount. If you did the math, that 5% often made Target cheaper than Amazon, especially on big-ticket items like car seats or strollers. The "Graco 4Ever DLX" car seat was a huge seller that year, and with the RedCard plus a Black Friday discount, it was unbeatable.
Was it a Success?
Financially, it was a mixed bag. Total sales were up, but profits were squeezed. This is the part most "coupon blogs" won't tell you. Target took a massive hit to their profit margins in late 2022 because they were basically paying people to take old inventory away. For the consumer, it was a goldmine. For the Target shareholder, it was a bit of a headache.
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Inflation was the "shadow" over the whole event. Even with 40% off, some people were hesitant. This led to more "last-minute" shopping than in previous years. People waited until the actual Friday or even Cyber Monday to see if prices would crater further.
Lessons Learned for Future Shopping
If you're looking back at 2022 to figure out how to shop now, there are a few "tells" Target has.
First, the gift card bundles are always better than the direct discounts on premium tech. If you see an iPad with $100 off vs. an iPad at full price with a $150 gift card, take the gift card. You're going to buy toilet paper and laundry detergent anyway; that gift card is basically cash.
Second, the "app-only" coupons are where the real gems hide. In 2022, Target Circle members (which is free to join) got "bonus" coupons like "$10 off a $50 purchase" that stacked on top of Black Friday prices. Most people forgot to "clip" them in the app.
Actionable Insights for Your Next Target Haul:
- Check the "Bullseye's Playground" (The Dollar Spot): During Black Friday, they often stock this area with $5 stocking stuffers that are actually decent quality, but they disappear by 9:00 AM.
- Audit Your RedCard: Make sure it’s active before the sale starts. That extra 5% is the difference between a good deal and a "historic low" price.
- Track Inventory, Not Just Price: Use third-party trackers to see if an item is actually in stock at your local store. Target’s website "in stock" indicator can lag by up to 20 minutes during high-traffic events.
- Stack the "Circle" Rewards: Always check the "Just for You" section in the Target app about three days before Black Friday. They often drop personalized spend-and-get offers (e.g., "Spend $100 on three separate trips, get a $30 reward").
- Ignore the "MSRP": Target is famous for listing a "regular price" that hasn't been the actual price in months. Use a price history tool to see if that "50% off" is actually just the standard 20% discount they run every other week.
Target Black Friday 2022 proved that the "one-day" sale is dead. It's now a season of attrition. The winners weren't the people who stood in line at 4:00 AM; they were the people who had their notifications turned on in October and used the price match guarantee to their advantage.