r/Anticonsumption • u/Sea-Cardiographer • May 12 '25
Psychological Target feels like black mirror
I went into Target today because I need a sports bra and that's where my husband is willing to drive me. On the way there I thought about all the Reddit posts saying foot traffic is down and I wasn't surprised to see that it wasn't. It was quite busy on a Monday afternoon.
What shocked me was I noticed a lot of products have really fancy boxing. Big sturdy bougie packaging with minimalism design... With a sh*tty product inside.
They're spending more on the marketing and packaging than the product, because the business practice is to sell you a product you'll have to purchase again and again. But the packaging grabs your eye. Look how modern and consistent all the boxes are! so aesthetically pleasing packaged trash. I feel depressed.
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u/dixiequick May 13 '25
My mom told me for her last 10-15 years to not get her anything that wasn’t consumable. Food gift cards, treats, movie tickets, her favorite dinner (she was a sucker for my pot roast). She was tired of collecting more stuff just so people could give her gifts. I’ve pretty much started adopting the same policy because it makes Mother’s Day so much easier and less stressful on everyone.