This may officially be the end of movie buying for Joe Sixpacks. Target, who used to have a considerable amount of music and movies in their stores (with walls of VHS tapes before DVDs existed) has now gotten rid of movies entirely. They had been reducing their selection for the past few years as if this was their end goal. While there were articles recently saying they were just going to “scale back” on movies even more, they have in fact gotten rid of them.

This is sad because being into laserdiscs earlier, I was tickled when I went into Target to buy kitty litter and picked up a DVD of the 1998 “Godzilla” in widescreen, 5.1 sound and a commentary track for $15. Such things were unheard of in those kinds of stores before then. Since then I’ve bought hundreds of movies from them, many on impulse buy when picking up more essential items.

They used these as loss-leaders also, helping to put dedicated media stores like Tower out of business. I bought a number of DVDs there for less than what I could’ve gotten them for at Tower even with my employee discount. I knew this was hurting Tower but they didn’t pay me enough to still take the cheaper route, which I admit now was foolish of me. Still, I never would have imagined that with Target being one of the LAST places to buy movies, they would just kill the market entirely.

I won’t be doing any of my regular shopping there anymore. I know the market for this stuff has been declining, but if they really cared about these they would have done SOMETHING to encourage sales. Instead the past few years it seems like they’ve been wanting it to die. They already killed off Target Ticket, so if the market really does go all-digital they won’t even be getting a piece of that.

Sad that things ended up this way. I’m hoping someone will step up and open a new media store here now that there isn’t any competition. I hate mail ordering stuff, and nothing beats finding something you didn’t know existed, and on sale on top of that.

Here’s a clip from a VHS tape they used to have playing in their “entertainment section,” back when they cared about it:

https://youtu.be/5fgf0omTCVY?si=UAjBPSh3dKfLrMoc

Are you sure?
Next week's ad has a couple of movies:

This was in the news a few months ago. Mostly getting out but not entirely.

https://www.ign.com/articles/target-...res-and-online

Target has shrunk their media section so much in the last couple of years it was already not worth stopping unless it was a Target exclusive new release.

I’d heard reports from others the past few days that stores had gotten rid of movies, and finally saw for myself today. They may have movies in their print ad but good luck finding any instore. Last time they had one of those sales, I couldn’t even find 3 that I wanted and didn’t have the time to go online and buy any.

So some stores have gotten rid of their movie section, but do they still have some at the front?

Like Meathead said they announced they would be scaling back some time ago, I thought you meant they made an announcement that they weren't selling any media at any store anymore, including the website, but that doesn't seem to be the case?

The movies at the front have been gone at least for a year now. That really indicated that they wanted them gone. I made a ton of impulse buys just going to the registers and seeing something I “needed” there.

I know the market for these has been declining, but at this point some of the blame has to be put on the stores themselves for doing shit like this. They cant sell what they don’t stock. Target MIGHT still have movies online but that’s a whole nother ball game, and like Best Buy they could easily dump them from there also.

First of all, not a fact. Source? Sources, plural?

Second of all, and I can see you coming back to say "not at all, but...", but you seem to be working overtime here to say...

It's.

All.

Target's.

Fault.

And it's a stretch. And if you don't mean that, you sure are saying they did their part to make it happen.

It’s not ALL Target’s fault, but they certainly helped. In the glory days of DVD you could buy all the big major-label titles at stores like this, never having to set foot in any real media store which often had to sell at MSRP in order to not lose money on sales.

Yeah, I know, I said you'd say that. And your sources? Your multiple sources beyond how you noticed this in a store you went into the other day?

A Target in Sacramento not selling movies anymore by no means makes it "Official"

People in other cities and states have posted about it. I doubt they’re doing a “reset” that will result in a bigger and better movie section later, I can hope but that likely isn’t going to happen. Yes, that article said they were still going to carry the “big” titles but I haven’t even seen many of those in their stores lately. Dial of Destiny never showed up in any Targets here for example, that was one of the last ones I bought at Best Buy.

It's not official and Target hasn't STOPPED selling movies. But otherwise, great reporting!

My Target looks to be getting rid of their (small) movie section as well. Noticed it last night. Looked like the aisle was being cleared out for more space for vinyl.

And who the hell is buying that? I’ve never seen anyone even touch the LPs in their stores. They did have a display near the front with the “exclusive” Taylor Swift album with clear vinyl.

They HAVE, however, stopped making movies.

There won’t be a sequel to Career Opportunities?

Way to go, Target.

Both Target stores close to me still have a movie aisle.

I don't think I've ever bought a movie in-store at Target, only on-line when they have a sale. Maybe on Black Friday or something, but I don't recall it.

Vinyl sales have been on the rise since 2006.
When adjusted for inflation, highest since 1988...

https://www.riaa.com/u-s-sales-database/

I went into a smaller Target store by my house and all the movies had been replaced with books. The Super Target Stores may still have movies but I haven't checked yet.

Joe Sixpacks stopped buying physical media years ago, which is exactly why stores are no longer interested in carrying them.

I mean maybe Target as a corporation is just insanely incompetent and have a vendetta against movies, where they are getting rid of a highly profitable section and replacing it with something that nobody ever touches, just for vanity's sake and to tick you off.

Or maybe people are buying vinyl when you're not in the store.

We may never know.

I just spent over $200 on Target B2G1 sale... so... no, incorrect.

If they don't want to sell them in store... fine.

I said the same thing about the 8 tracks and CEDs that I saw at the antique mall the other day. They should throw those in the trash.

That's where my laserdiscs ended up.