Executive Summary

During our trip to Minneapolis to attend the 2018 Target Financial Community Meeting this week, the Coresight Research team also took a guided tour of a Target store and viewed a demonstration of technologies that the company is developing. Selected takeaways from the store visit include:

• Target has refreshed its women’s private-label collection with several new brands (and more are on the way).
• The company has redesigned its beauty department to make products more appealing and accessible.
• Target has also redesigned its home section, which now offers an appealing, curated display of products.
• Target has separated its order pickup and exchange desks to save customers time.
• Sales associates are now empowered with handheld devices for checkout and placing online orders.
• The breadth of Target’s electronics section rivals that of many specialty retailers.
• Target is promoting its new Goodfellow & Co menswear brand.
• The company has focused on its fresh-food section and has made it more visually appealing.