Love is in the air. Whether you’re gathering with the gals, treating your kiddos, surprising your BFF or prepping for an amazing date night, Target is the place to celebrate every bae. We’re here for those epic changed-my-life love stories, the I-need-classroom-Valentine’s-fast last-minute dash and everything in between. While Cupid usually gets the credit, it’s actually the incredible Target team bringing that lovely brand of Valentine’s Day joy to life.
Here’s a peek at just a few of the passionate people helping Target guests do Valentine’s Day their way.
Galentine’s brunch or a great dinner date calls for delicious wine. And Jenn Holterman, director of merchandising for wine (that's her at front right), and team are pros at picking the perfect bottles. (After all, they hand-select more than 100 wines for Target’s adult beverage business each year.) They’re constantly tracking trends, exploring new varietals and even working with the nation’s best vineyards to create custom offerings for Target—all to ensure guests enjoy every last sip.
“Valentine’s Day is one of our biggest holidays for wine, so we’re giving our guests exactly what they’re looking for, whether they’re toasting their significant others or best friends,” says Jenn. “Sparkling wines and rosé are Valentine’s favorites, so this year we’re going even bigger by launching our own creation, Rosé Bae—a beautiful, Insta-worthy rosé featuring strawberry, raspberry and floral notes. And we’re also debuting mini bottles of sparkling Yes Way Rosé. Just add a festive paper straw and ribbon for the sweetest little gift.”
Greeting cards have been a Valentine’s Day mainstay since the advent of commercially printed cards in the 1700s. And to this day they remain one of the most popular ways to mark the holiday (we’ll sell millions for Valentine’s Day). But Sherri Johnson, director of merchandising for cards and party (that's her above right), and Alyssa Hinton, merchandise planner (at left), are working hard to help guests convey the messages they want. “Cards are very personal—what’s extremely touching to one person might fall flat with the next,” says Sherri. “I’m continuously refining our assortment to meet all guests’ celebratory needs.”
For Valentine’s Day, that means offering plenty of romantic cards, of course, but also serving up many ways to honor all the special people in guests’ lives. Target was the first to offer Galentine’s cards in 2017, giving guests a fun way to celebrate the awesome ladies in their lives—and it’s now a hugely popular collection. And this year we’re continuing to diversify the assortment to celebrate all those important Valentine’s relationships including teachers, pets and so much more. “I’m proud that despite the fast-paced world of social media and texts, I can continue to offer a more personal way for guests to connect with each other,” says Sherri. “I love when people are delighted to find that perfect, personal card.”
If beautiful blooms are your Valentine’s go-to, Kristina Mangold and team have you covered. As senior buyer for floral, Kristina (back right above) works with some of the industry’s top growers to bring guests amazing fresh flowers.
“Roses are the real star of the show,” says Kristina. “We sell more for Valentine’s Day than for any other holiday—most in the 48 hours leading up to the big day—so it’s all about making sure we have the highest quality, freshest picks for our guests. Whatever their needs, we have beautiful options that fit their budget, from a full bouquet of a dozen roses to our new three-stem offering at just $9.99. And we’ll have orchids, potted tulips, calla lilies and more, too. We’re proud that we’re making Target a true floral destination for our guests.”
Tiffany Trombley has many kids’ (and let’s be real, plenty of adults’) dream job: candy connoisseur. Ok, her official title is senior buyer for seasonal candy, but the gig is exactly as it sounds: She curates all of Target’s Halloween, Holiday, Valentine’s Day and Easter treats and helps guests discover the joy of food. And yes, Tiffany taste-tests almost everything, from the tried-and-true to the totally-out-there flavors, but it’s not all unicorns and chocolate roses. She and the team carefully monitor trends and do guest research, all in the name of serving up the classic treats guests know and love while introducing the latest trends and only-at-Target creations.
“This year, unique gifts that celebrate all types of relationships are big, like the AVO-Cuddle chocolate we created just for Target and our new sloth plush and baseball gumballs,” says Tiffany. “And we know that our guests crave premium chocolates so we’re introducing Target-exclusive Dark Strawberry Chocolate Lindt truffles. Target leads the market in organic classroom exchange candy, too. We truly have something great for every sweet tooth this season!”
That hint of love wafting through the air during your Target Run? It’s courtesy of team members like Ashley Buescher and Jonathan Glatfelter—and our 350,000-strong team across the country—who bring Valentine’s joy to life for our guests each and every day in our stores. As visual merchandising experts, Ashley and Jonathan not only create beautiful, engaging displays to inspire shoppers, but they also personally help guests find the perfect treat for themselves, their friends, family or anyone they want to shower with love.
“For those celebrating Galentine’s, we create a fun graphic tee display, and for kids, we merchandise the Valentine's Day leggings and tees together to inspire adorable outfits,” says Ashley. And when guests need a little extra inspiration, she’s ready. “I helped a dad and his little girls put together adorable Valentine’s outfits for school, complete with their favorite characters, classic heart shirts, leggings, tulle—the works,” she says. “When the girls were happy with their stylin' outfits, I asked if they’d picked out their Valentine’s cards and candy for school. It had slipped Dad’s mind, so we walked over and picked out Valentines, candies and more. It was one of my favorite moments. And I love that whether it's for a date or handing out Valentines to friends, I'm here to help our guest find an outfit they will adore and feel confident in and anything else they might need to enjoy the holiday.”
And Jonathan’s helping guests feel the love every day, too. “Just the other day, I helped a guest find a particular candle scent for him and his wife to enjoy in their new home,” he says. “I recommended this sea salt and lavender candle from Hearth & Hand with Magnolia and assured him that it was one of my favorites. He left feeling confident that they would both enjoy it as well. There’s nothing better for a new space than a nice fragrance to remind you of home and your loved ones, and I’m so happy I could help.”
Want to pull off your Valentine’s vision without leaving your couch? Just place your order on Target.com or via the Target App and our friends at Shipt—Target’s same-day delivery service—will shop your order and bring everything right to your door the same day. Ingredients for a delicious, home-cooked dinner date? Check. A huge chocolate-filled heart? Yep. And everything you need to majorly surprise the love of your life? Shipt shopper Karen S. is on the case. Last Valentine’s Day, she helped Target guest Stephanie orchestrate a fun moment for her boyfriend—and her efforts set the stage for an even bigger surprise.
“The day before Valentine’s Day, Stephanie placed a Shipt order and asked me to shop for all kinds of Target Valentine’s goodies to deck out her apartment in a special gesture for her boyfriend,” recalls Karen. “I walked the aisles, texting her the entire time. We picked out balloons, tons of candy, streamers and more. And when I went to deliver everything, her boyfriend answered the door! Luckily, I had tied up the bags so we couldn’t see anything. The next day Stephanie sent me a video of the decorations all set up—and also said she had a fun surprise. The next time I delivered to her, she happily showed off her new engagement ring! Amidst the Valentine’s decorations that she meant for him, he got down on one knee and proposed. I’m so glad that I got to be part of this fairytale moment—I’ve shopped over 10,000 orders, but this is one I’ll truly never forget.”
Like we said, Cupid’s got nothing on these incredible teams.
Want to help us bring the love while working somewhere YOU love? Check out Target’s Careers pages to learn more and explore available roles or visit the Pulse Blog to meet more of our talented team members. Interested in becoming a Shipt shopper? Get the details here.
