If you‘re looking to purchase a Target gift card, you might be wondering if you can pick one up during your next CVS shopping trip. After all, it‘s pretty common to see gift card racks near the checkout counters at drugstores and supermarkets these days.
As an expert in the retail and consumer space, I‘m here to give you the full scoop on Target gift card availability at CVS, along with plenty of insider tips and strategic shopping advice. Let‘s dive in!
The Short Answer: No, CVS Does Not Sell Target Gift Cards
I‘ll cut right to the chase – unfortunately, you won‘t find any Target gift cards sold at CVS stores or on CVS.com. This is because CVS and Target are direct competitors in several key categories, including:
- Pharmacy and prescription services
- Health and beauty products
- Grocery and snack items
- General merchandise and household essentials
With over 9,900 locations across the U.S., CVS is a major player in the drugstore space. In fact, they‘re the largest pharmacy chain by total prescription revenue, according to a 2021 Drug Channels Institute report. Meanwhile, Target has carved out a niche as a chic, trend-forward retailer known for its exclusive designer partnerships, home decor, and unique grocery offerings.
Though the two chains aren‘t identical, there‘s certainly a lot of overlap in their product assortment and target customer. By selling Target gift cards, CVS would essentially be encouraging shoppers to spend their dollars at a rival store. From a business perspective, that‘s not a smart move.
You‘ve Still Got Plenty of Options for Buying Target Gift Cards
Don‘t worry – just because CVS doesn‘t stock Target gift cards doesn‘t mean you‘re out of luck. There are numerous other convenient places to pick them up, including:
Target Stores and Target.com
Your first and most obvious option is to go straight to the source. Target gift cards are available for purchase at the customer service counter and checkout lanes of any Target store, as well as on Target.com.
If you buy online, you can choose between physical gift cards mailed to your recipient and digital gift cards delivered via email. E-gift cards can be sent immediately or scheduled for a later date, and they never expire or charge fees.
In stores, you‘ll typically see gift card racks with set denominations of $15, $25, $50, and $100. However, you can also have a custom amount loaded onto a gift card by bringing it to the register. Most locations can handle any value between $5 and $500.
Other Retail and Grocery Chains
Thanks to Target‘s popularity (and savvy marketing team), their gift cards have a massive retail footprint that extends way beyond their own stores. According to Target‘s corporate site, participating partners include:
- Grocery stores like Kroger, Albertson‘s, Publix, Food Lion, and H-E-B
- Drugstores like Walgreens and Rite Aid
- Wholesale clubs like Sam‘s Club and BJ‘s
- Dollar stores like Dollar General and Family Dollar
- Convenience stores like 7-Eleven and Circle K
- Home improvement stores like Lowe‘s and Menards
- Office supply stores like Staples
Exact denominations and designs may vary by retailer, so it‘s a good idea to call your local store to check what they have in stock before making a special trip.
eCommerce Marketplaces and Gift Card Resellers
In addition to brick-and-mortar retailers, you can also find Target gift cards on major eCommerce platforms like Amazon and eBay. There are also several websites that specialize in reselling gift cards, often at a small discount off face value. Some popular and reputable options include:
- GiftCards.com
- CardCash
- Raise
- Gift Card Granny
When purchasing from an online marketplace or reseller, always double check that you‘re buying from a verified, well-reviewed seller. While rare, gift card scams can happen, so it‘s important to stay vigilant.
Understanding the CVS-Target Relationship
Now that we‘ve covered where you can buy Target gift cards, let‘s take a closer look at the competition between these two retail behemoths.
Did you know that CVS and Target used to be partners? Back in 2015, CVS acquired Target‘s pharmacy and clinic businesses in a landmark $1.9 billion deal. As a result, the 1,700 pharmacies inside Target stores were rebranded as CVS Pharmacy locations, and CVS took over operational control.
However, both companies still maintained their own distinct store chains and brand identities outside of this arrangement. You can‘t walk into a CVS store and find aisles of Target‘s signature red-and-white decor and merchandise.
Ongoing Rivalry Across Multiple Categories
Despite their pharmacy partnership, CVS and Target remain fierce competitors in many other areas. Both companies are vying for market share in the health and beauty, personal care, grocery, and general merchandise categories.
To stay competitive, each retailer has deployed different strategies:
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CVS has doubled down on its identity as a health-focused company, offering an expanding suite of clinical services like flu shots, COVID-19 testing, sleep apnea screenings, and diabetes management. They‘ve also launched CarePass, a paid membership program that includes perks like free prescription delivery and 24/7 access to a pharmacist helpline.
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Target has positioned itself as an affordable, design-forward retailer catering to a younger demographic. They‘ve introduced hundreds of stylish owned brands and forged partnerships with high-profile designers like Victoria Beckham, Lilly Pulitzer, and Hunter. The company has also made significant investments in same-day fulfillment services to keep pace with Amazon.
Given this context, it‘s understandable why CVS chooses not to sell Target gift cards. Doing so would mean actively promoting a competitor and potentially cannibalizing their own sales. It‘s a strategic business decision, plain and simple.
Hacking CVS‘s Loyalty Program to Earn Target Gift Cards
While you can‘t directly purchase Target gift cards at CVS, there may still be a way to leverage your drugstore shopping to save at Target. It all comes down to maximizing the ExtraBucks Rewards program.
How ExtraBucks Rewards Work
ExtraBucks Rewards is CVS‘s loyalty program that allows shoppers to earn store credit by making qualifying purchases and engaging with promotional offers. Members earn 2% back in ExtraBucks on most purchases, with some items and categories excluded.
There are a few key things to know about the program:
- ExtraBucks are paid out quarterly and can be redeemed on future purchases at any CVS store or on CVS.com
- Rewards expire one month after they are issued, so it‘s important to use them in a timely manner
- ExtraBucks cannot be earned on gift card purchases, but they can be used to buy gift cards
This last point is where the Target savings hack comes in. If you‘re strategic about your CVS shopping, you can rack up ExtraBucks throughout the quarter and then use them to purchase Visa or Mastercard gift cards. You can then use those cards to shop at Target, either online or in-store.
Doing the Math on ExtraBucks Rewards
Let‘s say you spend $100 per month at CVS on eligible purchases like household essentials, beauty products, and over-the-counter medicine. After three months, you‘d earn $6 in ExtraBucks rewards ($100 x 3 months x 2% earnings rate).
You could then apply that $6 to a Visa gift card, which you can use anywhere Visa is accepted – including Target. Depending on the initial gift card value, that could cover a good chunk of the activation fee and still leave you with bonus Target money.
Obviously, $6 isn‘t a massive amount in the grand scheme of things. But if you‘re already a frequent CVS shopper, this strategy allows you to essentially "double dip" on your rewards by earning ExtraBucks and then funneling them into your Target budget. Every little bit adds up!
Target Gift Cards By the Numbers
To wrap up, I thought it would be interesting to highlight some key statistics and trends around gift cards in general and Target gift cards specifically.
Gift Card Industry Insights
- The global gift card market was valued at $619.25 billion in 2021 and is projected to reach $1.4 trillion by 2030, according to Allied Market Research
- Digital gift card sales grew 29% year-over-year in 2021, while physical gift card sales increased 23% (Incisiv)
- 60% of consumers said they planned to purchase at least one gift card for the 2021 holiday season (NRF)
- The average consumer spent $231.80 on gift cards during the 2021 holiday season (NRF)
Target Gift Card Trends
- Target gift cards are the second most popular choice for holiday shoppers, behind only Visa gift cards (InMarket)
- 7 in 10 consumers said they would like to receive a Target gift card as a present (Blackhawk Network)
- Nearly 1 in 4 teachers said they would most prefer to receive a Target gift card to purchase classroom supplies (AdoptAClassroom.org)
- Target gift card sales spiked 102% year-over-year in the first quarter of 2021 (InMarket)
The Bottom Line on Buying Target Gift Cards at CVS
To sum it all up:
- CVS does not currently sell Target gift cards in stores or online
- This is likely a strategic move to avoid promoting a major competitor
- However, Target gift cards are widely available at many other retailers, as well as directly from Target
- Savvy shoppers can also leverage CVS‘s ExtraBucks Rewards program to earn Visa gift cards that can be used at Target
I hope this guide has been helpful in navigating the world of Target gift cards and drugstore loyalty programs. Happy shopping!