Toys R Us Vs. Target: Where Should Thrifty Parents Shop This Christmas?

As the Christmas shopping season prepares to swing into high gear following Thanksgiving and Black Friday sales nationwide, many parents are considering ways to make their dollar stretch as far as it can this holiday season. As they consider which toys to purchase this Christmas, not only are they bogged down with concerns about recent lead paint recalls in the US, but they may be shocked to learn that toy prices are varying widely in stores across the nation. As parents head out to purchase toys for their children this Christmas, they may be wondering whether Toys R Us or Target will be their best bet for thrifty spending. They may be surprised to learn that the same item is going for substantially more in some stores than in others.

Toy shopper and mother of two Diane Eimer recently shook her head in disgust about the toy price discrepancies at the two major toy retailers. "This is the first year since I've been on the Christmas toy shopping scene that Toys R Us prices are way higher than Target. I mean A LOT higher, not just a few dollars." She shared two shopping experiences that had left her returning items to Toys R Us after locating the exact same item in Target for substantially less. One purchase, in fact, was called something different at both stores and packaged slightly differently, but was the same item, with a $20 price difference, upon closer inspection. Called the Barbie RV Party Bus at Toys R Us and the Barbie Hot Tub Party Bus at Target, the product descriptions are identical, even though the price tag reads $20 higher at Toys R Us.