I've never liked Target for its intrusive tracking of customer spending ... We have shifted THOUSANDS of dollars a year from Target, my home-town store I grew up with, to Sam's, the store everyone is inclined to decry...
I thought an important part of the "members only" business model was that they pioneered exactly the sort of tracking you mention. My understanding was that at Costco and BJ's and Sam's Club, you're required to present your membership card even if you're paying cash. Perhaps I'm mistaken.
I've always been pleasantly surprised what good luck I've had returning things at all the big-box stores: Wal-Mart (which I mostly avoid these days), Target, Home Depot, Lowe's, etc. I wonder if it's a regional thing. It may help that I generally pay with a credit card, so I'm just asking for credit, not cash.
Of course, today, it sounds like that habit is biting me in the ass.