Target Announces Store Policy Change – Is It Coming to Louisiana?

You can find a Target Store in just about every major city in Louisiana. The Minneapolis Minnesota-based retailer has locations in Lafayette, Baton Rouge, Lake Charles, Shreveport, and several other locations in the greater New Orleans Metro area. Many shoppers view the store as an "upgrade" from Walmart Stores but the two giant retailers offer many of the same items and their prices are often comparable.

What makes Target different from Walmart in the eyes of many shoppers is the experience. A lot of Target shoppers find that the retailer offers a larger variety of quality products than their competitors. But most would admit, that Walmart usually comes in on top when it comes to lower prices.

Both retailers have been hit hard with in-store crimes in recent years. Shoplifting has become an epidemic in many cities and retailers such as Target and Walmart have had to adjust their business models. Both stores have made major changes in their self-checkout as part of their loss prevention plans.

To prevent in-store losses, one Target store has taken an extraordinary step that could be viewed as a test case for other stores around the country, including those locations in Louisiana. The Target location Columbia Heights Maryland, a suburb of Washington DC has taken the extraordinary step of requiring customers under the age of 18 to be accompanied by an adult.

The change in store policy was put in place to curb juvenile thefts. Many are watching to see how customers react and to see if the age limits have an effect on retail theft losses in the store. We should note that the entire shopping complex in which this particular Target Store is located has similar policies in place at other retailers in the shopping center.

That's Not the Only Change in Policy Target is Making

Target Stores have also announced they will no longer be accepting personal checks for purchases made at the store. The reasoning is really simple, very few customers use personal checks as a payment method. The advent of credit and debit cards has made the personal check almost obsolete.

These are just some of the changes that today's modern retailers are having to make in the face of changing economic conditions and shopper tastes and tendencies. Of course, they are all designed to enhance your in-store experience while providing an environment where shoppers and store employees can feel safe and the store's bottom line can be protected as well.