ClownLoach wrote: ↑July 19th, 2023, 1:22 am
I still am not finding anything less than well run stores wherever I look in SoCal (unless I look in a rough area that frankly shouldn't have a Target, like that small format Westchester abomination). In fact the one store near me that has not met my expectations on store standards, a SuperTarget in Northeast Murrieta, seems to have finally been fixed. Someone must have noticed the 50 foot tall mountains of dirt from the construction of a new Home Depot, PetSmart, and Ross in their parking lot along with the wildly successful new Costco across the freeway and decided Target couldn't run a subpar operation here anymore.
Anyway the damage done to their brand with this Pride Month disaster was on par with the Disney fiasco where the (now deservingly fired) CEO managed to piss off the left, the right, and the governor of Florida amongst others. Something needed to give after this was botched so badly.
So... It seemed like this announcement happened silently. Target changed out the Chief Marketing Officer. The new CMO was named last week.
The poorly run Reno Store is better than it was earlier this year but it is still unacceptably bad on in-stock, service, checkout, clothing department appearance, etc.
What has changed now is the Sparks Store which had been better, has been going through a remodel for a few months now, and their remodels are very disruptive and seem to basically destroy the store. The remodel is almost done but the store is far from back to the level of service it offered before the remodel. Also the remodel is awful, disorganized layout, cut space from Hardlines, and didn't do much other than adding the Ulta space in. The Ulta is also undersized and very underwhelming. A full size Ulta elsewhere in the shopping center would have been a lot better.
Any idea where the former CMO went?
Target is running these generic sounding radio ads in Reno trying to talk up family friendly type events like sports games, beach trips, BBQs, etc. and how they have everything you need for your family gatherings. We will see how long the memory is of the parties Target made upset back in June. I have been very surprised at some people I've talked to who have told me they will no longer shop at Target due to that situation. People I never thought would care... seem to care. I still expect they'll shop there again before the end of the year, but maybe not.
I'm puzzled at this point as to what they're doing at all with remodels. They basically announced they were "making remodels easier for the guest by making less changes" which amounts to basically just doing some painting, the new hanging light bars over checklanes, restroom refreshes and the new back-lit aisle signs. Most of these new remodeled Target stores don't appear to have any changes at all to the untrained eye. Basically paper goods move to the aisles across from foods. Nothing like the remodels they were doing a few years ago where all of apparel moved to center store (like a Super or Greatland) and not one item stayed in it's original home.
I live next to a odd group of Target stores, one that never got P-fresh due to a non compete with the Albertsons next door, one traditional that was expanded by knocking down the walls into the old garden center, and two Super Targets. The non P-fresh store looks fine and seems to have all the current Target features, but right now dozens of construction trailers are arriving for a remodel. I doubt they got Albertsons to waive the non-compete so they're certainly not getting foods added (they have only a small row of coolers, no produce or meat). So no clue what exactly there is to remodel there unless they're going to expand into the mothballed garden center space. Visiting a non P-fresh Target is an interesting experience because it's like going back in time to 2010 or so. Because they never reduced the assortment to expand foods you see thousands of items that aren't in any other locations, not even the Super Target stores. Same clothing. More toys, luggage, automotive, much more bed and bath and other home essentials. I find it to be a much better store to shop, and much more competitive with Walmart's assortment of household goods. Personally I would like to see more stores where foods aren't productive get that space reduced and given back to the other departments.
They are going back into a lot of stores, even those recently remodeled, and adding in Ulta. There is one in my area that was remodeled maybe 3 years ago, that is getting an Ulta added right now. To do this, they are having to redo much of the apparel section by moving shoes next to the dressing room, crushing men's together so they can move girls apparel and the space where girls was for Ulta. The department must do well enough per sq ft to justify the expense.
The poorly run Reno Store is better than it was earlier this year but it is still unacceptably bad on in-stock, service, checkout, clothing department appearance, etc.
What has changed now is the Sparks Store which had been better, has been going through a remodel for a few months now, and their remodels are very disruptive and seem to basically destroy the store. The remodel is almost done but the store is far from back to the level of service it offered before the remodel. Also the remodel is awful, disorganized layout, cut space from Hardlines, and didn't do much other than adding the Ulta space in. The Ulta is also undersized and very underwhelming. A full size Ulta elsewhere in the shopping center would have been a lot better.
Any idea where the former CMO went?
Target is running these generic sounding radio ads in Reno trying to talk up family friendly type events like sports games, beach trips, BBQs, etc. and how they have everything you need for your family gatherings. We will see how long the memory is of the parties Target made upset back in June. I have been very surprised at some people I've talked to who have told me they will no longer shop at Target due to that situation. People I never thought would care... seem to care. I still expect they'll shop there again before the end of the year, but maybe not.
I'm puzzled at this point as to what they're doing at all with remodels. They basically announced they were "making remodels easier for the guest by making less changes" which amounts to basically just doing some painting, the new hanging light bars over checklanes, restroom refreshes and the new back-lit aisle signs. Most of these new remodeled Target stores don't appear to have any changes at all to the untrained eye. Basically paper goods move to the aisles across from foods. Nothing like the remodels they were doing a few years ago where all of apparel moved to center store (like a Super or Greatland) and not one item stayed in it's original home.
I live next to a odd group of Target stores, one that never got P-fresh due to a non compete with the Albertsons next door, one traditional that was expanded by knocking down the walls into the old garden center, and two Super Targets. The non P-fresh store looks fine and seems to have all the current Target features, but right now dozens of construction trailers are arriving for a remodel. I doubt they got Albertsons to waive the non-compete so they're certainly not getting foods added (they have only a small row of coolers, no produce or meat). So no clue what exactly there is to remodel there unless they're going to expand into the mothballed garden center space. Visiting a non P-fresh Target is an interesting experience because it's like going back in time to 2010 or so. Because they never reduced the assortment to expand foods you see thousands of items that aren't in any other locations, not even the Super Target stores. Same clothing. More toys, luggage, automotive, much more bed and bath and other home essentials. I find it to be a much better store to shop, and much more competitive with Walmart's assortment of household goods. Personally I would like to see more stores where foods aren't productive get that space reduced and given back to the other departments.
They are going back into a lot of stores, even those recently remodeled, and adding in Ulta. There is one in my area that was remodeled maybe 3 years ago, that is getting an Ulta added right now. To do this, they are having to redo much of the apparel section by moving shoes next to the dressing room, crushing men's together so they can move girls apparel and the space where girls was for Ulta. The department must do well enough per sq ft to justify the expense.
In the case of the store here, it is an oddball format because it never got P-fresh due to a non compete with Albertsons next door. So way back in the "LA25 test" they got a massively expanded cosmetics department with the projection video wall and such. From what I have seen at other stores they just reset the department within that same footprint to the Ulta at Target format. I expect the same here. So really not sure what they're going to remodel at this one. It has all the other new additions (expanded baby, Disney store, etc) because foods is only a few aisles in the front corner. Hence the interest in what they're going to do with the store because its completely up to date except for the new backlit hanging signs and Ulta. But they are bringing so many containers already that I expect they're going to do a complete and total remodel of the entire building.
