TARGET CIRCLE WEEK FALL 2025 RECAP
Target Circle Week Fall 2025: Better Curation, Deeper Discounts, and a Strategic Shift
Target’s October Circle Week showcased improved deal merchandising and 40% daily discounts, signaling a clear pivot toward discretionary categories and experience-driven promotions.
Target Circle Week in Fall 2025 (October 5-11) delivered its most strategic event yet, featuring 40-50% daily deals, expanded in-store signage, and a deliberate shift away from repetitive essentials promotions. With 40 featured offers across 11 categories and an average discount of 26% (up from 24% in Fall 2024), Target prioritized traffic-driving categories like Apparel & Accessories, Toys, Beauty, and Electronics while reducing retread offers in Essentials and Personal Care.
Why It Matters
Circle Week remains one of Target’s most important promotional events, designed to drive traffic, compete with Amazon and Walmart’s fall deal events, and deepen loyalty engagement among its 100+ million Circle members. For CPG brands, understanding how Target is evolving its promotional strategy (better curation, discretionary focus, expanded in-store execution) is critical for planning 2026 joint business plans and optimizing Circle investments.
With Target continuing to refine Circle’s value proposition and promotional efficiency, brands must ask: Is your Circle strategy aligned with where Target is heading?
Key Takeaways at a Glance
- Discount Depth: Average featured deal discount was 26%, up from 24% in Fall 2024
- Deal Curation: Target reduced repetitive Essentials/H&B offers, shifted focus to A&A, Toys, Electronics, Beauty, and seasonal items
- Featured Offers: 40 deals across 11 categories, with A&A (6 offers), Hardlines (5), H&B (5), and Home (5) leading the way
- In-Store Execution: Expanded Circle signage now includes daily-rotated Deal of the Day signs and majority of vendor-led offers (vs. virtually none prior to August 2025)
- Competitive Timing: Target kicked off October 5th, ahead of Amazon Prime Big Deal Days (Oct 7-8) and Walmart’s fall event (Oct 7-12)
What Made Fall 2025 Circle Week Different?
Deep Discounts Set a Competitive Benchmark
Target featured 40-50% off daily deals throughout Circle Week, matching the aggressive discounting from Amazon and Walmart’s simultaneous fall events. These weren’t just promotional noise. Target deliberately curated deals in high-traffic, high-consideration categories:
- Apparel & Accessories: 6 featured offers
- Hardlines: 5 featured offers
- Health & Beauty: 5 featured offers
- Home: 5 featured offers
- Baby: 4 featured offers
- Grocery: 4 featured offers
- Seasonal: 4 featured offers
Why this matters: Target was clearly responding to competitive pressure while leveraging its first-mover advantage. By kicking off October 5th (ahead of Amazon’s October 7-8 event), Target positioned itself to capture early holiday shoppers and drive traffic before the competition.
For brands: Featured Daily Deals drove disproportionate visibility and conversion. If your brand wasn’t part of the featured rotation, you likely struggled to break through the promotional noise.
Better Deal Curation: Out with the Retread, In with the Strategic
One of the most significant shifts in Fall 2025 was Target’s deliberate reduction of repetitive Essentials, Health & Beauty, and Personal Care category deals. These offers had become background noise, running regularly outside Circle Week and failing to generate incremental excitement.
Target replaced them with:
- Well-curated Halloween, Grocery, and Baby BOGOs
- Traffic-driving discretionary categories (A&A, Toys, Electronics)
- Experience-driven seasonal merchandise
The result: A Circle Week that felt more curated, more exciting, and more aligned with what shoppers actually want during a promotional event (giftable, seasonal, and discovery-driven merchandise vs. commodity essentials).
For brands: Target is signaling a strategic shift toward experience over subsidy. If your category is treated as a commodity (laundry detergent, paper towels, basic personal care), expect less Circle Week support unless you can deliver innovation, newness, or a compelling trial story.
Year-Over-Year Comparison: What Changed?
Discount Depth and Category Mix
| Metric | Fall 2025 | Fall 2024 | Change |
| Avg. Discount (Featured Deals) | 26% | 24% | +2pp |
| Featured Offers | 40 offers across 11 categories | 26 offers across 11 categories | +14 offers |
| Top Category (by offer count) | A&A (6 offers) | A&A/Toys (5 offers each) | +1 offer |
Category Focus Shifts
| Category | Fall 2025 Offers | Fall 2024 Offers | YOY Change |
| A&A | 6 | 5 | +1 |
| Hardlines | 5 | 1 | +4 |
| H&B | 5 | 2 | +3 |
| Home | 5 | 3 | +2 |
| Baby | 4 | 3 | +1 |
| Grocery | 4 | 2 | +2 |
| Seasonal | 4 | 3 | +1 |
| Toys | 3 | 5 | -2 |
| Pet | 2 | 1 | +1 |
| Writing | 1 | 0 | +1 |
| Essentials | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| TOTAL | 40 | 26 | +14 |
Translation: Target significantly expanded its featured offer count (+14 offers YOY), with the biggest increases in Hardlines (+4), H&B (+3), Grocery (+2), and Home (+2). Notably, Toys decreased by 2 offers despite being a key holiday category, while A&A maintained its position as the most-featured category. The shift away from Essentials remains clear (only 1 featured offer, flat YOY).
In-Store Execution: A Quiet Game-Changer
One of the most underreported wins of Fall 2025 Circle Week? Expanded in-store signage and improved merchandising execution.
What Changed:
- Daily Deal signs were rotated daily (a first for Target Circle Week)
- Majority of vendor-led Circle offers now receive in-store signage (vs. virtually none prior to August 2025)
- End-cap, floor signs, and offer price point signs were more prominent and better executed
Why This Matters:
In-store shoppers represent approximately 77% of Target’s total sales. If your Circle offer isn’t signed in-store, it’s functionally invisible to the majority of Target shoppers. The expansion of Circle signage bridges the critical gap between digital activation (app/email) and physical conversion (in-store purchase).
For brands: Audit your Circle execution. Were your offers signed in-store during Circle Week? Were they placed in high-traffic zones? If not, your promotional dollars were significantly less effective than they could have been.
How Did Circle Week Stack Up Against the Competition?
Target didn’t operate in a vacuum. Amazon and Walmart ran simultaneous fall deal events, creating a highly competitive promotional window.
| Retailer | Dates | Strategy Highlights |
| Target Circle Week | Oct 5-11 | 40% daily deals, improved in-store signage, discretionary category focus, first-mover timing |
| Amazon Prime Big Deal Days | Oct 7-8 | Deep 40%+ discounts, Prime-exclusive, 61% member participation (down from 88% in July per Forbes) |
| Walmart Deals Event | Oct 7-12 | Strong value messaging, heavy Home/Electronics/Small Appliance focus, less explicit Target/Amazon comp |
Target’s Competitive Advantage:
First-mover timing: By kicking off October 5th, Target captured early shoppers and established the promotional narrative before Amazon and Walmart.
Better deal curation: Target’s shift toward discretionary categories and away from commodity essentials differentiated its event from past Circle Weeks.
In-store + digital integration: Expanded signage and improved in-store execution gave Target an advantage over pure-play digital competitors.
The Challenge:
Amazon and Walmart’s simultaneous events likely fragmented shopper attention and spending. Multi-retailer strategies are now table stakes for CPG brands.
For brands: If you only showed up at Target, you likely left share on the table at Amazon and Walmart. Future Circle Weeks require coordinated multi-retailer strategies.
What Should Brands Do Next?
1. Audit Your Fall 2025 Circle Week Performance
Evaluate how your brand showed up during Fall Circle Week:
- In-store signage: Were your offers signed in-store? This was a major execution win in Fall 2025 and critical for physical conversion.
- Discount depth: How did your offers compare to the category average (26%)?
- Media coordination: Did you support Circle offers with paid search, Roundel, or 3P media to drive awareness and traffic?
2. Get Ready for Spring Circle Week (Anticipated Mid-March)
Target runs Circle Week three times per year. The next event is anticipated for mid-March, and prep starts now:
- Submission deadlines: Q1 Circle submissions are due as early as late October (timing varies by category).
- Category visibility: Work with your buyer team to understand which category deals Target is planning, then identify whitespace for vendor-led offers.
- Strategic participation: Circle Week drives significant traffic and loyalty engagement. Plan offers that complement Target’s promotional strategy.
3. Figure Out the Right Offers for Your Brand and Category
Not all Circle offers perform the same. Match your offer structure to shopper behavior:
- Frequency categories (Grocery, Essentials, Pet, Baby): BOGOs drive baskets and repeat purchases. These encourage trial and stockpiling.
- Discretionary categories (A&A, Toys, Electronics, Home): Price point deals and deeper discounts (30-40%+) are critical. Shoppers actively comparison shop across retailers.
- Bottom line: Test, learn, and refine. A BOGO that works in Grocery may fall flat in Electronics.
4. Make Circle Part of Your Annual Planning and JBP Discussions
Circle Week is a core component of Target’s promotional strategy and belongs in your Joint Business Planning conversations:
- Align on funding: Establish Circle budgets, vendor income expectations, and promotional calendars upfront.
- Advocate for better offer types: If your category is underperforming, pitch new structures or tactics that could move the needle.
- Pitch outside-the-box ideas: Use JBPs to propose innovative activations, exclusive products, or co-branded promotions.
5. Request a Target Circle Market Share Report
Understand who ran offers in your category during Circle Week:
- Benchmark performance: Compare your discount depth, offer volume, and timing vs. competitors.
- Identify whitespace: Find opportunities for future Circle Weeks where your brand can stand out.
- Request your free report: Get your customized report here
FAQs: Target Circle Week Fall 2025
Q: What was the average discount during Circle Week 2025?
Featured deals averaged 26% off, up from 24% in Fall 2024. Many Daily Deals offered 40-50% off to compete with Amazon and Walmart.
Q: How many featured offers did Target run during Circle Week?
Target featured 40 offers across 11 categories, with the heaviest concentration in A&A (6), Hardlines (5), H&B (5), and Home (5).
Q: What was the biggest change from Fall 2024 to Fall 2025?
Target significantly reduced repetitive Essentials and Personal Care offers, shifting focus toward discretionary categories (A&A, Toys, Electronics, Beauty) and better-curated seasonal/grocery promotions.
Q: Were Daily Deals signed in-store?
Yes. For the first time, Target rotated Daily Deal signage daily in-store. Additionally, the majority of vendor-led Circle offers now receive in-store signage (vs. virtually none prior to August 2025).
Q: How did Target’s timing compare to Amazon and Walmart?
Target kicked off October 5th, ahead of Amazon Prime Big Deal Days (Oct 7-8) and Walmart’s fall event (Oct 7-12), giving Target a first-mover advantage.
Q: How can brands win in future Circle Weeks?
Focus on featured Daily Deals, ensure in-store signage, align with Target’s discretionary category priorities, and coordinate Circle offers with paid search and retail media support.
Conclusion: What’s the Next Question Your Brand Should Be Asking?
Target Circle Week Fall 2025 revealed a retailer in strategic transition: better deal curation, expanded in-store execution, and a clear pivot toward discretionary categories and experience-driven promotions.
For CPG brands, the critical question is no longer “Should we run Circle offers?” but “How do we align with Target’s evolving Circle strategy, and what else should we be doing to win?”
The answer lies in precision: featured Daily Deals, in-store signage, discretionary category alignment, and coordinated retail media support. Target is evolving its Circle playbook. Is your brand keeping up?
Ready to optimize your Target Circle strategy? Contact DIGITS to schedule a Circle Week performance audit or request a free Target Circle Market Share Report.
Citations & References
- Forbes, “Amazon Prime Big Deal Days 2025: 61% of Members Participated”
- Modern Retail, “Many Target Stores Will Stop Fulfilling Online Orders” (August 22, 2025)
- Target Managed Services
- DIGITS 3P Media
- Request a Target Circle Market Share Report
About DIGITS Agency
DIGITS is a Target Vendor Services Agency specializing in Target Circle strategy, paid search, Roundel media, and 3P digital campaigns. With exclusive access to Target sales data and a decade of Circle expertise, DIGITS helps CPG brands drive measurable sales growth and maximize ROI at Target.
Dave Glaza, Founder & CEO of DIGITS, remains committed to bringing digital capabilities to physical stores!
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/
