You're not crazy! And we're all in this together. The Target Effect is real. What is the Target Effect? It's when you run into Target to buy toilet paper and come out with a cart full of stuff you didn't mean to buy! Experts have even analyzed this phenomenon! They say the Target Effect stems from a great Marketing Department at Target. They often pair things that don't necessarily go together, but they make you happy. You reach for the cat food and "what is that??? A chic toilet bowl cleaner? How did Target manage to make a toilet scrubber cute?? I must have this!" The struggle is so real!
Another reason why the Target Effect is so real is that they really do sell everything. They, also, price things to end in "9" a lot. That psychologically makes us feel that things are on sale. Target does a great job at pointing us in the direction of things we don't need, but make us happy. Retail therapy is the truth!
P. S. that pic! That was taken at Target in St. Louis. So many shoes! So much clean up.