8 of the Worst Things to Buy at Target No store can specialize in everything. For some purchases, it's smart to shop elsewhere. Brenda Rocha – Blossom / Shutterstock.com I grew up shopping at the first-ever Target store, and I have written about the eight things I always buy at the discount-store chain. But, even for dedicated Target shoppers like me, it’s not a one-stop shop. There are certain things I don’t buy at Target, and that is not meant as a knock on the chain. It’s just that no one store can specialize in everything. Target is a top-notch destination for certain purchases: I’ll probably never buy my daughter’s school supplies or our family’s Easter candy elsewhere. And yet, the following things are on my “not at Target” list.