Where & How to Buy Target Return Pallets

If you’ve walked into a Target, you know this retailer has endless options to choose from — which is why nearly eight out of 10 U.S. shoppers are Target customers. Target caters to guests at more than 1,900 stores and on Target.com. This leaves plenty of room for in-store and DOT COM returns, plus other liquidation inventory like overstock and seasonal merchandise. So, how can you get your hands on Target return pallets?

Target Auction Liquidations is an official liquidation channel for Target that offers bulk quantities of categories like apparel & accessories, electronics, home decor, music & movies, shoes, small appliances, sports & toys, video games, and mixed lots. This big box store’s pallets of customer returns and overstock are appealing to resellers big and small, too. In an auction-style set up, resellers have the chance to secure Target liquidation inventory for the price they want.

In this article, we go over Target’s marketplace from top to bottom:

• Overview of the Target marketplace
• What makes Target returns valuable
• How to buy Target customer return pallets
• Reselling Target liquidation

Target Auction Liquidations: An Overview

Types of inventory

Target Liquidations is a marketplace where qualified buyers can bid on excess inventory from Target Stores and Target.com. Inventory is manifested and unmanifested and comes in several different conditions. Different product categories include:

• Apparel & Accessories
• Shoes
• Electronics
• Home Decor
• Music & Movies
• Small Appliances
• Sports & Toys
• Video Games
• Mixed Lots

What makes Target return pallets so valuable?

Depth of SKUs that they carry

Target has inventory in all major categories. Not only that, but hundreds of options or SKUs. That means if you want to be an apparel reseller, you have not only men’s and women’s clothing but young adult, shoes, accessories, maternity, seasonal, dresswear, activewear, loungewear, intimates, and more. Now imagine the different SKUs for home merchandise like bedding, bath, decor, furniture, etc. And then patio, electronics, office, and entertainment—the list goes on! This is a lot of inventory to choose from. And remember, if it can be found on primary shelves, then it can be resold on the secondary market.

Unmanifested lots

If you’re interested in a little bit of treasure hunting, Target has unmanifested auction lots for you to bid on. There, you have the possibility of striking gold. Think seasonal merchandise, high-value items, home goods, hand sanitizer, and anything else you might find at a Target. You can find a plethora of different items in either LTL (less than truckload) or truckload shipments. We break down how much space you need for each of these shipment types down below!

UPS lots

Also on the Target Auction Liquidations marketplace are electronics auction lots sold in boxed quantities – not pallets – at a fixed price. This is a strong selling point for electronics buyers who prefer the ease and reliability of UPS packages. You can also manage the amount of inventory you receive this way instead of various pallets at once.

How to buy Target return pallets:

Understand how items are sold

Target overstock and returns are sold by the truckload or LTL on Target Auction Liquidations. Buyers can browse auctions that interest them and place bids based on the retail value of the goods. The most important auction details will be listed in the auction title, for example, “6 Pallets of Furniture, Used – Good Condition, 110 Units, Ext. Retail $5,679, Goodyear, AZ” tells you the shipment type, inventory type, condition, quantity, estimated retail, and where it’s coming from.

Set your filters to the inventory you want

Filters allow you to sort through auctions that meet your criteria. You can search by Shipment Type, Current High Bids, City and State, and Condition. We’ll break down the importance of a few of these filters below.

Find the warehouse closest to you

A huge benefit of shopping on the Target marketplace is that they have facilities across the country. So buyers can shop closer to home and save money on shipping costs. The amount of miles your lot has to travel to get to you directly impacts the cost of shipping. You can currently find Target liquidation auctions listed out of the following locations:

• Elkridge, MD
• Taylors, SC
• Waco, TX
• Compton, CA
• Hagerstown, MD
• Savannah, GA
• Goodyear, AZ
• Indianapolis, IN

Familiarize yourself with product & packaging conditions

The Target marketplace follows the same uniform product and packaging conditions as most B-Stock marketplaces. This gives interested buyers peace of mind when bidding and securing inventory on B-Stock’s liquidation marketplaces.

Also important to note are packaging conditions.

Decide on a shipment size

The standard pallet size is 48” x 40”. A truckload has 24 pallets and an LTL (less than truckload) can be anywhere from one to 10 or 12. There are two common ways in which goods are packed and palletized– Gaylord and ‘Stacked and Wrapped.’ On Target, you will typically see Gaylords, which is one giant box that fits the dimensions of the pallet allowing for the shipment of products in a large, single container.

Consider that certain products may be bulkier than others, and require more space. If you don’t have the space to accommodate a truckload of inventory, LTLs are a good bet. Alternatively, you can also choose from smaller auction lots available on B-Stock Supply.

Register on the Target marketplace

You will need to register for Target Auction Liquidations in order to start bidding on bulk lots of a wide variety of products including Apparel & Accessories, Electronics, Home Decor, Music & Movies, Shoes, Small Appliances, Sports & Toys, Video Games, and Mixed Lots.

To register, you will need to have a reseller certificate form to submit with your application. Once approved, you can immediately bid to win Target liquidation pallets. If you do not currently have a reseller certificate but would like to learn more about how to apply for one, please read Buying Basics: Resale Certificates.

Calculate your costs

Make sure you get your formula down for how much you’re willing to bid for Target returns and overstock inventory. With the help of the manifest, interested buyers can sort directly on the manifest page to see the most valuable items. Alternatively, you can also download the manifest and work directly in an Excel file to do your calculations. You should take into account the number of units, MSRP, and shipping costs. Fees for liftgates and residential addresses may also apply.

Tips for selling Target liquidation inventory:

Products require delabeling

Delabeling is a process that some retailers require when selling their goods on the secondary market. Major retailers often require the removal or damage of labels, tags or UPC codes on their merchandise in a bid to ensure all overstock goods being sold in the secondary market are known. This prevents the reseller, or the new end-user from returning the item to the store for credit or a full refund. It’s an additional step that buyers will need to take but a necessary one in order to source inventory from Target Auction Liquidations.

Use pictures

The more images, the more sales! And showing clothing or brands on models or mannequins…those do even better! Feel free to mix stock images with actual images, but if any of the items are damaged– show that too. You’ve got to be honest in showing the good with the bad.

Seasonality matters

The truth is you will fetch a higher price selling items in season rather than out of season. As a reseller, you can expect diminished sales and recovery selling merchandise that is out of season.

Store transition processes can vary, but for Target, they are typically two months behind the seasons. So as far as when you will see Target clearing out old product and setting new product, you can use this timeline. For example, summer/patio inventory won’t be liquidated until the season is over and transitions to back to school/college; Halloween inventory won’t be set until back to school/college has been cleared out, and so on.

Pair inventory together

Furniture and home decor often go hand in hand. So when selling Target returns, you may want to consider adding in fun extras for shoppers to take home. For example, you just received a patio set, consider adding in some decorative pillows or outdoor rug to go along with it! Not only do you get to cross-sell extra inventory, but you increase your chances of making that sale by helping shoppers have a “complete” picture-perfect feeling.

Click here for buying and selling home & garden liquidation and furniture liquidation.

Start buying Target return pallets today!

Shoppers love Target merchandise, and your customers will, too. This makes Target returns and liquidation pallets a hot commodity! When you browse Target liquidation auctions, you’re sure to find the deals you’re looking for and in any product category. Simply submit a valid resale certificate and register on the Target Auction Liquidations marketplace today!