On the way home from work or making your school pickup rounds, it’s not uncommon to make a Target run. You know, for that one thing that needs to be restocked before your household runs out?

Yeah, it happens to most of us. You say to yourself or your carload of accomplices that you’ll only be a second, because all you need to get is one pack of whatever. Your intentions are pure and good, but once you walk through those red doors, your pupils turn into glistening bullseyes.

That’s the bewitching power of Tar-zhay. One of people’s favorite places to break their purchasing vows, the store draws you in and distracts you with things you never knew you wanted until you saw them. It’s okay. Your habit (and possible addiction) is now supported with evidence that the store has a whole squad of sorcerers working behind the scenes.

Just kidding. But what Target does have is a clever design team tasked with keeping our love for Target alive. Ever notice how clean and airy it is in there? How about the smell of Starbucks or popcorn that greets you at the door?

And ooooooo, the discount bins filled with colorful, inexpensive doodads, knickknacks, and necessary necessities are hard to pass up. Target is a master at organization, and its layout creates easily walkable aisles along with bright signage to direct your path.

In an article on Refinery29, Target’s VP of Store Design shared how products are strategically set up to be appealing:

“Our revamped Beauty department looks like a specialty shop and is designed to invite guests to try out products, and in Home, products are cross-merchandised and displayed in lifestyle settings, so guests can imagine what they’ll look like in their own homes.”

Psychology and marketing experts also chimed in, saying that the brand is good at positioning impulse buys throughout the store. You’ll find them on endcaps, near the registers, or grouped with household staples.

Target is also good at pricing psychology. That old trick where things are priced as less than whole dollar amounts never fails. Drawn in by nice, inexpensive products that look great in one’s imagination and in real life, customers are compelled to toss things into their carts.

It’s well lit, well stocked (usually), and drips with appeal. What’s not to like? And let’s be honest, the lines in the store aren’t as bad some other major retailers out here who shall remain nameless.

Overall, the experts shared that there’s one theme that Target nails right: happiness. Your good mood makes your shopping experience a treat for yourself and the store.

That’s why you have no problem dropping a few bucks on a cute watch (even though you don’t wear one), bookends (even though you don’t have a bookshelf), and a Halloween costume for your dog (even though it’s August).

Just know you aren’t alone in getting caught up in a spending spree at Tar-zhay, where you walk out feeling fancier than you did when you entered.

Have you been mesmerized by Target’s charms and constantly leave with a swollen receipt? How do they get you? What’s your favorite thing about the brand and why?