This Grocery Giant's Bakery Is The Worst, According To Customers

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In our ranking of grocery store bakeries from worst to best, chains like Publix and Costco routinely get high praise from shoppers. On the other hand, Target came in dead last on our list, which may elicit a question: Target has a bakery? Well, it depends. So-called "Super" Targets typically have fully functional bakeries, while regular locations feature pre-packaged baked goods and don't actually make items in-store. In the latter case, customers can expect a selection of bread, cookies, muffins, cupcakes, and other items, many of which come from Target's Favorite Day brand.

Unlike other store-exclusive products, such as Costco's coveted cheesecake, Target's baked goods don't get nearly as much love. And if you peruse reviews of the store's bakery products, they can paint a dismal picture. For instance, out of 40 people who left ratings for Target's Holiday Christmas Variety Cookie Tray on the store's website, about a quarter of them gave the item 1 star. One person said of the treats, "They are hard as a rock and have no taste." Someone who tried the store's Sliced Cottage Bread complained that the product "taste[d] like chemicals." Another shopper had a poor experience with Favorite Day Soft French Bread. "It was expired. ... It had mold on it," according to the review.

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Many shoppers are warming up to store exclusive brands these days, and in some cases, the manufacturers behind name-brand products also make store brand goods (though companies are loath to admit it). Despite the shifting consumer sentiment, not all private label goods are created equal, as illustrated by the criticisms lobbed at Target's sad selection of bakery treats. The chain claims to put lots of time and effort into its in-house Favorite Day Bakery brand specifically, as products are apparently created with the aid of food scientists and recipe developers.

So what gives? According to one self-proclaimed Target employee on Reddit, "If it isn't a [Super] store that makes 'em, it's shipped frozen," referring to the chain's Favorite Day Bakery items. "When we receive, we have a designated shelf life date we have to stamp on. Some people take that job more seriously than others, which is why at some stores you get a case of the greens[.]" We can't assess the legitimacy of these claims. Even so, one might wonder more generally if Target doesn't put as much TLC into its private label goods as it could. After all, the chain sells lots of name-brand goods. Compare this approach to that of Aldi, which banks on customers seeking out its store exclusive items. Whatever the reason, Target's bakery has left a bad taste in some shopper's mouths.