“All the color is just gone…”: Video comparing Target in 2005 to 2024 has people mourning the 2000s

A video displaying the stark contrast in color palettes between Target in 2005 vs 2024 is giving people heavy 2000s nostalgia. The viral post shows how the superstore chain drained all the iconic red from its interior in favor of a bleached-out look that sears the eyeballs in comparison.

Where did Target’s red go?

The video first appeared in September 2024 on a dedicated 2000s nostalgia TikTok account, @understandablecriticism. It’s now their top pinned post with over 11.4 million views.

It starts with footage from last year, showing how the floor, ceiling, and shelves are primarily a shiny white, with the red text and logo minimized on displays. Then it switches to 2005.

@understandablecriticism The lack of color is so sad… #n#nostalgicn#nostalgian#nostalgiacoren#nostalgiatrip2#2000sthrowbackd#dreamcorel#liminalspacesf#fypppf#fypシ゚viral2#2000skidsn#nostalgiatok2#2000sc#childhoodw#weirdcorec#corecoren#nostalgia90anfyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy #target ♬ aquatic ambience – slowed + reverb – Scizzie

To be fair, there is a warmer filter over this footage that makes everything a bit dull and yellow. However, the amount of red in the store is noticeably different. The walls are painted red adjacent to the ceiling, every display has a red lining, and that cute dog with the Target logo over his eye still appears. Remember the dog?

It’s not just red, either. The electronics section has a green neon sign to mark its old color designation. It used to be that each section in Target had a color assigned to it, and often its own neon sign, but no longer.

“The lack of color is so sad,” the account writes.

On Monday, popular X account @InternetH0F reposted the video, netting 5.1 million views in a few days. They, too, note that “all the color is just gone.”

“Everything looks so boring now”

Viewers on both X and TikTok largely bemoaned the lack of color that now dominates Target stores. People have made similar complains over the years about the character draining from youth haunts like Starbucks, McDonald’s, and Pizza Hut.

Now even shopping is dull as heck.

TikToker @areyousobernow complained that “no matter where you go the colors are gone, everything looks so boring now.”

“I don’t understand why the world currently wants to throw colors away,” said @raleffffl.

On X, user @Mossymuse even compared the loss of color to Target’s abandonment of its DEI policies.

“Oh removing DEI wasn’t enough they got to go all in and whitewash the whole store too. Got it,” they said.

“Oh I’ll absolutely keep reminding why Target deserves to go broke.”

Some, however, feel that how Target looks is not important enough to get distressed over.

“Who the f**k is going to Target to admire the atmosphere?” asked @ASpottyKat.

At least one TikToker even prefers the way it is now. User @funnybba asserted that “he new one just looks better, less confusing less overwhelming and easier to find stuff.”

The internet is chaotic—but we’ll break it down for you in one daily email. Sign up for the Daily Dot’s newsletter here.