Target is being raked across the coals following a botched Black Friday giveaway that was overhyped and underwhelming.
The retailer attempted to lure shoppers into the store ahead of the biggest shopping day of the year by promising the first 100 people in line early Friday morning “a limited edition iridescent holiday tote filled with fun giveaways.” In addition, ten randomly selected people at each store could win grand prizes including a Laifen hair dryer, a Ninja slushie machine, Beats headphones, and a $100 Target gift card, among other items.
People started posting on social media about being camped out overnight in the freezing cold despite the rules clearly stating that no one was allowed to line up until 4 a.m. at the earliest. After the event, many customers complained about poor enforcement for line jumpers.
But in the end, it didn’t matter much because almost everyone expressed their frustration at the contents of the swag bags. The oversized tote wasn’t “stuffed” – instead, it had a few cheap items that inspired most recipients to deem the entire thing a waste of time and energy.
Most photos posted by shoppers who scored the giveaway showed similar contents, including a pack of UNO cards, a miniature Gemz shampoo package, a small bag of Nerds candy, an Elf cosmetic product, and a variety pack of LMNT electrolyte water supplements. The small items looked tiny in the oversized tote bag.
There was a plethora of negative comments, video reactions, and spoof videos across all social media platforms.
“Thanks @Target for the most pathetic black friday swag bag imaginable,” one X user wrote alongside a photo of the giveaway items.
thanks @Target for the most pathetic black friday swag bag imaginable pic.twitter.com/8vZXfqdrQ5
— batt (@tasteochaos) November 28, 2025
“You advertise that the first hundred people in line would get swag bags filled with goodies… And this is what you came up with? Pretty ridiculous and disappointing,” another commenter agreed.
“Waited hours for those ‘swag bags’ just to get… this? What a freaking joke. 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,” echoed a third.
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The bad PR comes at a terrible time for the retail giant, as the CEO just stepped down in August amid declining sales and boycotts from both sides of the political aisle.
Black Friday shoppers had praise for a different retailer handing out swag bags, saying the giveaway at Lowe’s put Target to shame. The home improvement retailer handed out swag to the first 50 customers in line at their stores, and the offerings were much more substantial.
Those customers received a five-gallon bucket filled with various building and home improvement items including a drill bit set, a bucket-shaped coffee mug, Magic Erasers, WD-40, and a keychain. Several lucky shoppers also received a “golden ticket” with a coupon for a free appliance worth up to $2,000.
Target did not immediately return The Daily Wire’s request for comment.
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