Retail Watchers

storewanderer wrote:... he also announced they are abandoning the "store of the future" concept due to high costs.

Sad. I think we just got one here in the Portland area. It is lovely. It doesn't look like the same generic Target/Walmart/etc. box and in a few ways even evoked ShopKo to me (back when they were trying new things). The Target near Washington Square Mall is newly renovated.

The store was brighter than most Target locations, housewares is right in the front now. No more Target cafe, but instead a modern Starbucks with a lot of floor space setup as you walk in. My companion said the new restrooms looked really nice too, and not like the usual Target ones.

I was impressed by how beauty looked, even though Target already does that well in my opinion. Grocery did have a "rustic" look to the signs now that I looked online about some of the proposed changes but otherwise seemed much like its previous incarnation. Detergents moved to some new aisles that face the grocery area, rather than generic aisles that face the same direction as the main store aisles.

The "rustic" look continued outside, where the front door is now covered with a new entrance using only the Target bullseye in white over some wood accents and new lighting above the store entrance. Departments do have picture / text signs and electronics was renamed 'tech' like it is in many of the newer locations. Apparel had mannequins and racks that were atypical of a 'cheap' store that did a good job of showcasing merchandise. It felt a lot more like what JCPenney was trying to do during the Johnson era. It made me wonder if the sign was LED lit and will be able to change colors, such as what Apple does on Earth Day with the green apple.

This store was also playing music, something that was nixed at Portland's "Galleria" (city) Target. The roadside sign was inverted from the usual red on white background to white symbol and name on red background.

SamSpade wrote:

storewanderer wrote:... he also announced they are abandoning the "store of the future" concept due to high costs.

Sad. I think we just got one here in the Portland area. It is lovely. It doesn't look like the same generic Target/Walmart/etc. box and in a few ways even evoked ShopKo to me (back when they were trying new things). The Target near Washington Square Mall is newly renovated.

The store was brighter than most Target locations, housewares is right in the front now. No more Target cafe, but instead a modern Starbucks with a lot of floor space setup as you walk in. My companion said the new restrooms looked really nice too, and not like the usual Target ones.

I was impressed by how beauty looked, even though Target already does that well in my opinion. Grocery did have a "rustic" look to the signs now that I looked online about some of the proposed changes but otherwise seemed much like its previous incarnation. Detergents moved to some new aisles that face the grocery area, rather than generic aisles that face the same direction as the main store aisles.

The "rustic" look continued outside, where the front door is now covered with a new entrance using only the Target bullseye in white over some wood accents and new lighting above the store entrance. Departments do have picture / text signs and electronics was renamed 'tech' like it is in many of the newer locations. Apparel had mannequins and racks that were atypical of a 'cheap' store that did a good job of showcasing merchandise. It felt a lot more like what JCPenney was trying to do during the Johnson era. It made me wonder if the sign was LED lit and will be able to change colors, such as what Apple does on Earth Day with the green apple.

This store was also playing music, something that was nixed at Portland's "Galleria" (city) Target. The roadside sign was inverted from the usual red on white background to white symbol and name on red background.

This renovation at the Washington Square Mall Target is actually just the typical current prototype renovation. "Store of the Future" locations had not yet opened yet, and the discontinuation of this project was actually originally announced back in February. Target's latest "development" format is an expansion of the concept you mentioned in the Portland area, but with two entrances, one closer to convenience items (such as food) which will allow shoppers to get in and out quickly, and the other intended as an "inspirational" entrance which leads into browsing departments such as clothing and home decor. An initial test of this format will be unveiled this fall with two stores, a new-build location in Houston and at an existing SuperTarget in Fort Worth.

Target in Torrance, California is just starting ANOTHER remodel. It was part of the Los Angeles group that remodeled in the last two years which I was not impressed with. I was at the store today and the contractors were there looking things over. In the parking lot between itself and Ralphs they've already got a number of construction materials delivered.

Manhattan Beach is also currently remodeling. That was at one time a Target Greatland and has two entrances, one on either side of the store. The right side entrance was completely closed off and front end of store - inside and outside - was all torn up two weeks ago when I was there.

CalItalian wrote:Manhattan Beach is also currently remodeling. That was at one time a Target Greatland and has two entrances, one on either side of the store. The right side entrance was completely closed off and front end of store - inside and outside - was all torn up two weeks ago when I was there.

In most cases where feasible by square footage, Target has been removing one the two entrances at former Greatland locations as it creates another exit point which must be monitored for shoplifting. This also brings these stores more closely in line with a typical Target layout. However, former Greatlands vary greatly in size, and some locations had both doors designated as emergency exits in case of fire, and therefore cannot be easily removed without adding emergency exits elsewhere.

architect wrote:

CalItalian wrote:Manhattan Beach is also currently remodeling. That was at one time a Target Greatland and has two entrances, one on either side of the store. The right side entrance was completely closed off and front end of store - inside and outside - was all torn up two weeks ago when I was there.

In most cases where feasible by square footage, Target has been removing one the two entrances at former Greatland locations as it creates another exit point which must be monitored for shoplifting. This also brings these stores more closely in line with a typical Target layout. However, former Greatlands vary greatly in size, and some locations had both doors designated as emergency exits in case of fire, and therefore cannot be easily removed without adding emergency exits elsewhere.

I was in the Manhattan Beach Target today. Still LOTS of construction going on and many months to go. Appears they are adding about 25,000 sq. ft. to the front (south/right) side of the store. I'm surprised since this is such a large store, already. They have reopened the right entrance but it has been completely remodeled and the color scheme is going to be very bright for the entire outside of the store (at least). Too early to tell if they are going to do away with the entrance on the north/left side of the store as no construction is currently going on in this area. This is going to be a total remodel based on what I see them doing.

There is another Target decor and some areas look very colorless and gray. It reminds me of the new CVS Black & White decor mixed with the new gray Walmart concrete floor.
http://www.chainstoreage.com/article/fi ... inneapolis

Alpha8472 wrote:There is another Target decor and some areas look very colorless and gray. It reminds me of the new CVS Black & White decor mixed with the new gray Walmart concrete floor.
http://www.chainstoreage.com/article/fi ... inneapolis

I actually don't mind the look of this Target decor.

It looks "modern" and "fresh".

Alpha8472 wrote:There is another Target decor and some areas look very colorless and gray. It reminds me of the new CVS Black & White decor mixed with the new gray Walmart concrete floor.
http://www.chainstoreage.com/article/fi ... inneapolis

Ugh. At this point, they are basically becoming "Un-Target" with all their extensive remodels. It's also easily losing a sense of the usual atmosphere, not a single sense of the old relaxing Target and now trying to copy trendy mall stores and Whole Foods.
However, this only seems to be a prototype for their flagship store. To note anyhow, I'm sure that is what the company would want for most of their stores.

CalItalian wrote: ↑March 25th, 2017, 11:28 pm I was in the Torrance, California Target on Friday. The entire fresh/refrigerated food areas, from the refrigerated meat to produce, were a mess at 4 pm. Very few packages of beef. A few that should have been pulled since they were brown. Dairy area was a mess with eggs almost non-existent while gallons of milk took up all their allotted space and were put in areas where product, such as eggs, were missing. They had a few packages of strawberries - and they were in poor shape. To me, this is a normal day at Target where I always find them poorly stocked in fresh foods.

One thing I always notice about stocking at Target, I often find product with the longest shelf life dates in the front and almost expired product behind it. Doesn't matter if it is canned goods, candy or eggs.

I can tell you from my years at Target that when it comes to stocking freight they are all about speed and that leads to employees just putting items with an expiration dates on the shelves without checking dates. The grocery areas are often more labor intensive and they treated them like housewares (takes less time to stock out small appliances). At new employer (grocery store) we are all about freshness and our store director or grocery manager walks my department (produce) every morning to look for out dates and freshness.

wyoretailman wrote: ↑November 15th, 2018, 6:08 pm

CalItalian wrote: ↑March 25th, 2017, 11:28 pm I was in the Torrance, California Target on Friday. The entire fresh/refrigerated food areas, from the refrigerated meat to produce, were a mess at 4 pm. Very few packages of beef. A few that should have been pulled since they were brown. Dairy area was a mess with eggs almost non-existent while gallons of milk took up all their allotted space and were put in areas where product, such as eggs, were missing. They had a few packages of strawberries - and they were in poor shape. To me, this is a normal day at Target where I always find them poorly stocked in fresh foods.

One thing I always notice about stocking at Target, I often find product with the longest shelf life dates in the front and almost expired product behind it. Doesn't matter if it is canned goods, candy or eggs.

I can tell you from my years at Target that when it comes to stocking freight they are all about speed and that leads to employees just putting items with an expiration dates on the shelves without checking dates. The grocery areas are often more labor intensive and they treated them like housewares (takes less time to stock out small appliances). At new employer (grocery store) we are all about freshness and our store director or grocery manager walks my department (produce) every morning to look for out dates and freshness.

It was always a problem that Target treated grocery like a housewares or toy department on logistics. I do wonder if Target has straightened out its grocery mentality since they brought in a higher up from Kroger a year or two ago. I noticed recently they have a bunch of self facing shelves in grocery with plastic/push forward with plastic. It looks absolutely terrible. If those were a good idea, I think more grocery stores would have them. One thing I am a fan of I have seen in some grocery stores is slightly downward sloping shelves for canned goods.

Better operators/better store directors frequently walk departments to monitor conditions but in the Target world I get the impression the store management is generally in the office.