5 Ways to Shop Target for Valentine's Day and Save

Get candy discounts with same-day services, look for gifts based on your budget, and check out the clearance sale early!

Published February 3, 2022

BY:
JULIE RAMHOLD

Senior Staff Writer/Consumer Analyst

Valentine's Day gifts can carry a lot of weight, especially if you're trying to make a good first impression in a new relationship. But the good news is that you don't have to spend a fortune to celebrate the holiday. Plan to shop Target Valentine's Day deals, and you can find everything you need to make the red-and-pink holiday a happy one.

How to Shop Target for Valentine's Day and Save

Find Target Valentine's Gifts That Match Your Budget

If you're hoping to score Valentine's Day gifts at Target while staying within your budget, the good news is that the retailer makes it super easy to do just that. Whoever you're shopping for, you'll find categories to browse on the bull's-eye retailer's website. Shop gifts for him, presents for her, goodies for kids, something special for your partner, and even fun items for your furry friends.

You can also narrow your search down even further once you choose a category for your gift recipient. One option is to shop by budget; you can select Target Valentine's gifts under $10, $25, $50, and $100 for her, him, and partners. For kids' gifts, you can choose a budget of under $10, $25, and $50.

Get Candy Deals With Same-Day Services

Target is well-known for offering savings on select candies when using same-day services. These include same-day delivery, as well as in-store pickup and drive-up services.

You can expect to save 30-40 cents or even $1 on select Valentine's candy at Target when you use same-day services.

Varieties that qualify for these kinds of offers vary, but here are a few examples we've seen among Target's Valentine's Day candy:

Dove Valentine's Milk Chocolate Hearts for $4
Fun Dip Valentine's Day Exchange Candy and Card Kit for $2.99
Lindt Lindor Valentine's Strawberries & Cream White Chocolate Truffles for $4.50

In general, you can expect to save 30-40 cents or even $1 per item when you use same-day services. You'll need to check out via one of these services, but that doesn't mean you'll be required to pick up your order the same day. Target holds orders for at least a few days, so you do have a bit of a window to pick them up if you can't do so the same day.

Snag Supplies and Bake Something Festive

Baking garners a lot of attention around holidays like Thanksgiving and the winter celebrations, but the truth is festive baking can work for any big holiday. Valentine's Day is no exception, and Target has plenty of baking projects to tackle, whether you're by yourself or need an activity to work on with kids, friends, or family.

Be sure to look at the retailer's baking mixes, which range from Valentine's-themed Funfetti to standard sugar cookie varieties, plus strawberry and red velvet cake mixes. In addition to those and boxes of various brownie varieties, you can find festive decorations like heart-shaped sprinkles, colorful sanding sugars, and even glitter gels. You can also pick up frosting and icing to make your baking projects easier, in colors like soft and hot pink, as well as the standard varieties.

Beyond the ingredients needed for baking, you can get activity kits to build cookie houses, decorate heart-shaped cookies, and decorate cupcakes and sugar cookies, too.

Check Out Bullseye's Playground

The Bullseye's Playground/Dollar Spot section at Target is always worth checking out, but even more so around holidays, as you'll find super-affordable seasonal items there. Valentine's Day is no exception, offering you the chance to buy adorable sets of dish towels and pot holders with romantic sentiments, cute prints, and more for $10 each. Plus, you can get decorative elements like gifting buckets and tubes for $12 and small tin mailboxes ideal for kids exchanging valentines, also $12 for a 4-pack.

In addition to these kinds of items, you can find good alternatives to gifting candy valentines. If you're worried about allergies or just don't want to give sugar, know that Bullseye's Playground has things like socks for kids and adults with festive prints. In either case, you'll pay $10 for a 10-pack, which is an excellent deal. Other alternative gifts include Crayola Silly Scent Heart Dough in a 10-pack for $10, as well as cute gel clings that kids can use to decorate windows and other glass surfaces.

Shop Target's Valentine's Clearance Sale Early

As with other holiday-related sales, Valentine's Day clearance sales will start either the day of or — more likely — the day after the holiday. Initial discounts at Target will probably only go as high as 50% off, but you shouldn't wait for them to get better.

Target's initial clearance discounts will probably only go as high as 50% off, but you shouldn't wait for them to get better.

The selection of candy, stuffed animals, and other themed gifts will be best the day after Valentine's Day. If you wait for the discounts to get better, they could grow to 70% or more in the days to come, but the selection will dwindle quickly. It's best to snag any sale products you want when you can; waiting means running the risk of missing out entirely.

Ready to shop for gifts? Check out all the Valentine's Day deals available right now!