'I have to ask': Target shopper gets stopped by security guard at entrance. She is puzzled as to why

Photo byJHVEPhoto/Shutterstock @alyssa_dejesus/Tiktok

Some people have had a flattering experience of being well-over 21 and being carded at a local bar or restaurant. But one woman was more confused than thrilled when it happened at her local Target.

Alyssa Dejesus (@alyssa_dejesus) posted a shocking experience she experienced with a Target security officer from Chicago. The video by the 24-year-old creator and podcast host received nearly 900,000 views.

“I’m at Target right now and I just got stopped by a security guard before walking in,” DeJesus begins.

“He was like, ‘I have to ask how old are you?’ … That was such a weird question to be asked … by a security guard. And this is why,” Dejesus says. She pans the camera to a Target sign. It reads: “All guests under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult at this Target store.”

“I’m literally 24, so, good to know,” she quips as the video ends.

In the caption, DeJesus wrote, “That’s what I get for leaving my house without makeup on.”

Customers share their opinions on Target's policy on age

In the comments, users expressed their views on the updated rule.

“OK but I love that stores are doing this,” one user wrote.

“I get it, but at 16 I had a job, a car, and money and my parents did not want to go to Target with me,” a second person added.

“As a retail employee, I wish more stores would do this. I’ve finished working on table displays just to watch teenagers intentionally knock over stacked t-shirts, or they throw shirts off the hanger,” came a third remark.

Are similar incidents occurring at other Target stores?

In April, Target received widespread attention for its policy change in Washington, D.C., which banned minors without adult supervision from entering its premises, a rule mirrored in the video by DeJesus.

Retail Dive reports that the store, located in the DC USA Mall in the Columbia Heights neighborhood in D.C., boasts the same policy as the entire mall. Mall visitors under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.

What's the reason behind stores refusing to accept young minors?

La Voce di New York reports that Target, along with other leading stores, has been significantly affected by a decrease in inventory, with some CEOs expressing concerns that this situation could not be maintained for the sake of profit. This strategy, introduced as early as December 2023, is designed to alleviate financial losses and decrease shoplifting among young people.

A Bakersfield, California Target location made news this month for turning several teens away for being unaccompanied after 4 pm. The Target is also located in a mall, Valley Plaza.

“They had asked us to leave and we asked why and they said we couldn’t go in without a parent or guardian. We’re like, ‘Can we at least go inside to get Starbucks real quick?’ and they said ‘No,’” one of the teens told KBAK.

Does this policy apply across the entire country?

Since Target has not issued a formal announcement regarding the policy, it's uncertain whether it will become a universal rule across all Target locations or if it's just a specific policy set by mall proprietors who apply rules according to their discretion.