The discounter Target Corp has a proven strategy – design and location plus ease, inspiration and relevance – to build stores that work in and also for the community, the company said. Target put that formula to work across a variety of neighborhoods and building footprints in 2022, from suburban hubs to city centers, from Wyoming to Florida.
In all, Target opened 23 new locations last year. The openings brought the company into three new markets: Jackson Hole, Wyo.; Lebanon, Pa.; and Auburn, Maine. Target also opened a small-format store in Charleston, S.C., within footsteps of the College of Charleston campus and supporting the thriving tourist destination.
Each new Target store fits into a community like a puzzle piece, filling its needs while fitting in with its vibe, the company said. In downtown Pittsburgh, for example, the chain opened an urban location that could offer a wide grocery assortment – within a 10,000-sq-.ft space. By stocking these essentials, the store eliminated what had previously been a food desert in the community.
In addition to an updated its in-store experience, Target’s new locations have been built to connect with their communities through design. Examples include the electronic flick of the tail of the chain’s mascot, Bullseye, at its store in New York City’s Times Square to the corrugated steel cladding of its small-format site in Los Angeles’ hip Silver Lake area.
In November, Target gave a glimpse of its new store footprint with the opening of a 150,000-sq.-ft. store in Katy, Texas. With a footprint about 20% larger than the current chain average, the site features a backroom fulfillment area that’s five times larger than stores of similar size, providing more room for delivering online orders through the retailer’s same-day services.
In addition to the larger format, Target has reimagined its store design, with a more open layout and new elements to better serve customers and employees, and advance the chain’s sustainability goals. The larger stores also support the retailer’s same-day fulfillment services stores-as-hubs strategy for digital fulfillment.
The company said the new concept would be its primary focus in the coming years even as it continues to open stores of all sizes.
“With our reimagined store design and larger store footprint that better supports our same-day services, we can give guests more of what they love while incorporating features that build on our commitment to sustainability, community and helping all families discover the joy of everyday life,” John Mulligan, executive VP and COO, Target, said in November.
Target is also continuing to expand its supply chain network of sortation centers, where employees take orders packed in stores and sort them efficiently for local delivery. In early 2023, it expects to have nine of the facilities up and running across the country, including new locations in Chicago and Denver.
