Target to close 11 stores before year end

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Super S
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Re: Target to close 11 stores before year end

Post by Super S »

Regarding the Kelso Target, which I have discussed before, I am seeing more mixed signals. They have not done a full remodel in over 10 years, but recently updated the whole store to new LED light fixtures. I also noticed that they have taken the covers off the jewelry cases, but are using them to display other things. One had a sports related type of display with potato chips and related items, which not only didn't belong in the jewelry case, but looked really sloppy considering it was a Target store. I almost get the feeling that Target has loosened some of their standards a bit with the smaller town locations and is focusing on the larger stores.
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Re: Target to close 11 stores before year end

Post by klkla »

A new Target prototype opened recently in Richmond TX at 124,000 sq. ft. A lot of photos on Yelp already:
https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/target- ... YeVLRHkzUA

Also an article in SN about it:
http://www.supermarketnews.com/store-de ... tore-texas

Looks pretty cool to me.
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Re: Target to close 11 stores before year end

Post by architect »

klkla wrote: November 13th, 2017, 7:12 pm A new Target prototype opened recently in Richmond TX at 124,000 sq. ft. A lot of photos on Yelp already:
https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/target- ... YeVLRHkzUA

Also an article in SN about it:
http://www.supermarketnews.com/store-de ... tore-texas

Looks pretty cool to me.
A similar renovation has actually taken place at a SuperTarget in Fort Worth; the most notable feature being a central "runway" through the clothing areas with a lighting and ceiling design similar to the Richmond store. The front end has also been extensively reconfigured.
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Re: Target to close 11 stores before year end

Post by pseudo3d »

klkla wrote: November 13th, 2017, 7:12 pm A new Target prototype opened recently in Richmond TX at 124,000 sq. ft. A lot of photos on Yelp already:
https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/target- ... YeVLRHkzUA

Also an article in SN about it:
http://www.supermarketnews.com/store-de ... tore-texas

Looks pretty cool to me.
I don't know. It does seem to bring up good ideas that were cut years ago (the dual entrances from Target Greatland) and I do love the idea of combining grocery/department/discount store elements but none of it seems very well done.

For one, the concrete floors really bother me. For all of its poorer merchandising (more on that later), Target stores had a "warmer" feel than any other discounter or grocery store and more of an actual department store. I'm fine with concrete floors in most discounters and a lot of grocery stores but not Target. That seems wrong. Nor am I fan of the gray "trellis-shaped" flooring. (Also, in case it isn't clear, I despise Target's current gray color scheme, but I digress).

The fresh food department looks nice but the food department fails because the P-Fresh style food departments have really cut into the hardlines that Target had (still) offered while not offering a comprehensive merchandise mix (I mean, the picture on Yelp! has a pathetic produce display right next to a display with meat!). I'm fine with dry goods sections that all the discounters had in the late 1990s (you know--candy, soda, chips, some dry goods items like soups and cereals) but generally go big or go home. (Picture of 1 of 33 on Yelp, for reference).

The discount store section doesn't look good either. There aren't even enough hooks and hangers to effectively merchandise the left side of the aisle (see Picture 23) so it looks picked over or just poorly stocked. And this is a just-opened store! Imagine what it will look like in a year from now. There's nothing here to convince me that the general merchandise section is any good either. Sure, the toy and board game section is better than Walmart, but for everything else it just falls so flat. I still remember trying to find the most basic of items at Target (printer paper, which only came in their own brand tucked in a shelf somewhere instead of the large displays at Walmart with brands like Georgia-Pacific) and being so disappointed. Something funny happened around the late 2000s and early 2010s when Target's merchandising got worse and Walmart's presentation got better--I mean, Project Impact really reduced selection that they had to turn around but it also tended to make Walmart a bit more upscale on the whole and more comparable to Target. At least that's how it felt.

The "department store" part is also a mixed bag. On one hand, the clothing department looks great--can't speak for the quality or selection but at least it looks okay. The random islands of merchandise (picture 26) are not good and make the store look very messy and disorganized. Hearth & Hand with Magnolia does look pretty as a department store style boutique but it is a promotional department that may change as contracts end and all, plus I'm skeptical of those items actually selling (like the ill-fated Neiman Marcus collection at Target), especially in smaller markets (like Waco, which only has one Target store but the actual Magnolia Market just four miles away...well, Target has more accessible parking at least). Then we have the Starbucks (with no other food establishments?) which almost everyone has these days, and the CVS pharmacy, but only the pharmacy (as far as I know, Target still has their own branded drug line and HBA section), which still confuses me as to why they sold out, as they don't seem to be particularly hurting for cash nor are they phasing out pharmacies from their stores. I think that Target should have written the contract to have the pharmacies only operated by CVS, as that would spare the stores from being marred with the tacky "CVS Pharmacy" logo on the outside and reduce customer confusion, but again, that's another issue.
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Re: Target to close 11 stores before year end

Post by wnetmacman »

pseudo3d wrote: November 15th, 2017, 7:53 am It does seem to bring up good ideas that were cut years ago (the dual entrances from Target Greatland)
Dual Entrances are a nightmare, from a point of Loss Prevention. Even though Target does a better job at managing the doors (for example, you cannot exit through the entrance doors), they still have to double security equipment and staffing to manage it. And with the electronics department being right next to the doors on the hardlines side, that's even worse.

I think this design does much to further Target's desire to be a little bit upscale. The problem is it that it goes just a little too far. The circles on the ceiling aren't cheap, and to me, the cheaper the place looks, the better I feel about pricing.
pseudo3d wrote: November 15th, 2017, 7:53 am and the CVS pharmacy, but only the pharmacy (as far as I know, Target still has their own branded drug line and HBA section), which still confuses me as to why they sold out, as they don't seem to be particularly hurting for cash nor are they phasing out pharmacies from their stores. I think that Target should have written the contract to have the pharmacies only operated by CVS, as that would spare the stores from being marred with the tacky "CVS Pharmacy" logo on the outside and reduce customer confusion, but again, that's another issue.
The Pharmacy *is* managed by CVS, but that ONLY includes the prescription portion of the business, and transactions inside the walls of the pharmacy. It does not, nor did it ever include HBA items on the shelves outside the pharmacy. I think the whole thing is tacky; Target should either do it themselves or cut bait. Walmart has been running their own pharmacies for almost 40 years and it's a major draw into their stores. I do know that the Target CVS pharmacies still have two sets of registers; one for the main store and one for the pharmacy. They do not cross merchandise between the two.
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Re: Target to close 11 stores before year end

Post by klkla »

wnetmacman wrote: November 15th, 2017, 9:15 am
I think this design does much to further Target's desire to be a little bit upscale. The problem is it that it goes just a little too far. The circles on the ceiling aren't cheap, and to me, the cheaper the place looks, the better I feel about pricing.
I agree that is a risk but Target has always tried to position themselves as a discounter, but still a notch above WalMart and KMart. I think this format re-establishes that positioning.
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Re: Target to close 11 stores before year end

Post by pseudo3d »

klkla wrote: November 15th, 2017, 6:37 pm
wnetmacman wrote: November 15th, 2017, 9:15 am
I think this design does much to further Target's desire to be a little bit upscale. The problem is it that it goes just a little too far. The circles on the ceiling aren't cheap, and to me, the cheaper the place looks, the better I feel about pricing.
I agree that is a risk but Target has always tried to position themselves as a discounter, but still a notch above WalMart and KMart. I think this format re-establishes that positioning.
That might be the case had their merchandising been, well "on target". Cutting out half of the dry goods departments and then reducing selection of what's left does not a discounter make. There was a time back in the 1970s when Target was still more "upscale" but still had everything everyone else did (an auto center with branded oil filters!)
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Re: Target to close 11 stores before year end

Post by J-Man »

I do know that the Target CVS pharmacies still have two sets of registers; one for the main store and one for the pharmacy. They do not cross merchandise between the two.
So someone who wants to purchase both prescription and non-prescription or HBA items has to do it in two separate transactions?
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Re: Target to close 11 stores before year end

Post by Super S »

pseudo3d wrote: November 15th, 2017, 6:57 pm
klkla wrote: November 15th, 2017, 6:37 pm
wnetmacman wrote: November 15th, 2017, 9:15 am
I think this design does much to further Target's desire to be a little bit upscale. The problem is it that it goes just a little too far. The circles on the ceiling aren't cheap, and to me, the cheaper the place looks, the better I feel about pricing.
I agree that is a risk but Target has always tried to position themselves as a discounter, but still a notch above WalMart and KMart. I think this format re-establishes that positioning.
That might be the case had their merchandising been, well "on target". Cutting out half of the dry goods departments and then reducing selection of what's left does not a discounter make. There was a time back in the 1970s when Target was still more "upscale" but still had everything everyone else did (an auto center with branded oil filters!)
Target had branded filters much later than that. I remember buying them in the early 1990s. They also carried ACDelco and Fram. Target at that time was still more mainstream with their hardlines offerings. These days there are no oil filters and you are lucky if you can find oil.

Target scaled many hardline areas way way back in the mid to late 1990s and this is now a huge weak spot for them.
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Re: Target to close 11 stores before year end

Post by wnetmacman »

Super S wrote: November 16th, 2017, 9:30 am Target had branded filters much later than that. I remember buying them in the early 1990s. They also carried ACDelco and Fram. Target at that time was still more mainstream with their hardlines offerings. These days there are no oil filters and you are lucky if you can find oil.

Target scaled many hardline areas way way back in the mid to late 1990s and this is now a huge weak spot for them.
Target has slowly been scaling automotive back for many years. Auto Centers were open as late as the early 80's, but by the time the stores were redesigned in the mid 80's, the entire department started shrinking. Where Walmart has a huge section with many aisles devoted to automotive, most Target stores have less than one, and no repair/maintenance space. When you consider that your biggest competitor at least has the department in every store, that's a major shortsightedness. One that they cannot get beyond unless they fix it. Even the last Kmart I visited had a full automotive aisle with oil, filters and wipers. Their sporting goods section is okay, but still not up to par with Walmart. (Sam was an avid hunter, and that reflects in Walmart's sporting goods offerings)

In HBA, clothing, and domestics, Target has a good selection. When it comes to DIY and RTA furniture, Target also lacks. It's just not their strong suit, and they either know it but don't acknowledge it, or just don't care to be in that business.

To me, it's a major weakness for them as a company, to fail to fully compete with your closest competition.
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