December 3, 2025
Retail consultants called the promotion “a big fail” as Target attempts to regain customer trust.
Shoppers nationwide looked forward to cashing in on Black Friday deals at major retailers — except Target — where shoppers are calling the company out on social media for feeling scammed out of what was supposed to be holiday goodie bags, The New York Post reported.
The now-controversial retailer promised the first 100 customers to arrive on Black Friday would receive a “limited edition iridescent holiday tote filled with fun giveaways,” in addition to the first 10 people in line getting extra “surprises” of goodies, including a Laifen hair dryer, Ninja slushie machine, or Beats headphones. However, customers on social media reveal that wasn’t the case.
Shoppers who were lured in by the deal dragged the retailer on social media, painting themselves as disappointed. One customer posted to X showing what was in the iridescent branded bags — a box of Uno cards, Nerds candy, protein powder packs and more. “Waited hours for those ‘swag bags’ just to get… this? What a freaking joke,” @abbeydry9572 wrote.
“Y’all hyped it up like it was Christmas morning and handed us a bag of nothing. Guess I’ll go play Uno with everyone else who got played today. Absolute scam-level disappointment. @Target.”
One customer went so far as to compare the “goodies” to what people receive on electronic benefits transfer cards used for food stamps. “You mean to tell me Target couldn’t afford a thick throw blanket, a gift card, some spa products and maybe some fuzzy slippers in the swag bags?” @terribphotog said.
“A billion-dollar company just showed the world what they really think of us … Just trash, that gift was EBT.”
Retail consultants like Lisa Miller called the promotion “a big fail” as Target attempts to regain customer trust. “A swag bag from Target would set expectations, but it was filled with cheap lip gloss, travel-size shampoo and a deck of cards,” she said.
According to Business Insider, Target’s incoming CEO, Michael Fiddelke, has made commitments to improving the shopping experience for the company’s customers. The goodie bag scheme was just one of several ways the retailer has tried to lure customers back in to boost sales and profitability. The company recently hosted a special release event for Taylor Swift’s latest album, featuring a festive “whimsical Alpine world” setup.
After dialing back on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, Target suffered a significant blow, including a boycott in May 2025. As a result, the company was forced to dump 1,800 jobs — close to 8% of its corporate workforce — in October 2025.
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