The Big Red Sign

Walking through the doors of this well know store, one may feel a sudden overload of the senses. The aromas of coffee, pizza, and people all compete to take command of the senses. Eyes are drawn to the red doors, the red carts, and the red signs, not knowing where to focus. Snippets of conversations go in and out of ear shot. Children begging parents for new toys, couples arguing over what to get, parents trying to stay sane while they get their shopping done, all these pass by as you walk through the front of the massive store.

Taking a red cart with the signature emblem, one enters the first few sections of the store, accessories and juniors. Moving clockwise around the outer part of the store, the sections titled women and men and shoes and baby pass by and stop at the back of the store, where the electronics and book section is located. Books for all ages sit next to each other. New releases face the highway of shoppers, hoping someone will look over and see the twenty percent off sticker on the cover. Beyond the two aisles of books, the electronic section begins. This transition from classic, paperbound books to new, modern DVDs and blu-ray discs are separated by one plastic shelf. New movies, like the newly released books, sit facing outward, hoping their creators promoted them enough to get picked up by those passing by. There are constant sales and special sales, new movies and old movies, must haves and guilty pleasures, all together in one store. Of course, they aren’t facing out; they are displayed in a part of the section that draws little attention. They are placed behind the new movies.

Conveniently located to the left of the electronics section is the toy section. Parents can quickly glance at the movies as they are getting pulled, or chasing after, their children wanting the newest Barbie or Transformer doll. The toy section contains toys for all ages. There are Barbies and Transformers and bouncy balls and stuffed animals and Nerf guns and Legos. For young adults there are even board games and electronic games to be desired.

Following the big red signs listing the name of each section, the next major section commanding attention are the groceries. The section- snack foods and frozen foods, soda and juice, fruits and vegetables- makes going to the grocery store unnecessary. There are breakfast foods and snack foods and lunch foods and frozen foods in this store. It also carries clothing and shoes and books and toys and electronics. This mecca has everything needed in one’s daily life. Within the past year, the grocery section has grown to cover the entire left wall of the expansive super store.

The front wall is considered the health and beauty section. Toilet paper and paper towels are first, so as not to contaminate the food an aisle over. Shampoos, conditioners, vitamins, razors, body wash, and make up follows the paper products. Curly, straight, colored- hair of every type and style have multiple shampoo and conditioner choices. Makeup- Maybelline and NYC, Revlon and Covergirl, L’Oreal and Neutrogena- share three aisles of this massive store. These brands, known around the world, are not too cheap, but are not going to cause one’s head to explode upon reading the price. The brands, not just for makeup, are functional and priced fairly.

Moving to the middle of the store, one sees furniture, bedding, and bathroom signs. Furniture, from beaten up, metallic looking vases to cushioned, modern, black couches, comes in differing styles to open the market to multiple masses. Students ready to start college, newlyweds moving into a bigger home together, and new parents can all find what they need at a price that will not go over their budget, and may even give them some extra spending money. Bedding and towels, which are always in demand, come in many colors. Differing thread counts and differing styles makes a simple choice much more difficult. Shades of blues, reds, grays, and greens, bright colors, and plain, simple whites can be found in the towel section. Spread along three aisles these choices can add a pop of color to any bathroom. While these items are not needed as much as a new toy, book, movie, or bottle of nail polish, the central location causes one to walk through and find something they do not really need.

Back to the front of the store, the checkout stands are set into two rows with seven checkout stands in each row. While not all checkout stands are open at once, they are spaced out enough to give one room to get by. Displayed directly before paying for purchases are items like Chapstick, gum, hair ties, gift cards, magazines, and sodas. These items are small and often forgotten. The salespeople, in their uniform of beige pants, red polo shirt, and name tag, offer friendly smiles and small talk as purchases pass through the scanner.

After paying and receiving their receipt one can simply carry out their bags or, if they bought quite a few things, they can bring them out in a cart. Once the cart has been emptied, the cart must be placed in the cart racks placed conveniently around the parking lot. Employees of the store are constantly in the parking lot collecting these carts and bringing them inside for the next shopper to use. Taking one last glance at the store and it looming sign over the entrance before heading back to their vehicle, one must think of the store with many things inside. Its’ signature bulls eye. Its’ name. Target.


-Laura