Target's new LA25 Concept

[CalItalian]

Hi all. First post on these boards (just an OCD shopper; no ties to industry). My local Target in Manhattan Beach just went with this concept. This store was originally a Greatland concept, then they added grocery and pharmacy after removing the garden section. So it's a mix of that old Greatland layout with new design elements; it's not a completely current floorplan like in Redondo Beach Galleria.

As a long-time Target shopper (I am 32 but remember when Gemco changed to Target back in the day), some thoughts. The spotlight displays look nice and more upscale, but I feel like they have significantly reduced items they carry to make it fit. Several random things I buy there - things I'd go to buy specifically at Target, in fact - went away during the remodel never to return. Specifically in beauty and home care / cleaning products. I feel like the selection is much more "curated" now. The selection feels too small now - abbreviated - and slanted toward higher priced items.

Also, while the red walls with plain white font are "clean," it feels almost too simplistic to me. Unfinished. Cheap. Particular the guest service area. I even asked them when they are finishing painting the walls just to be annoying.

The new checkstands feel smaller and much less substantial, as if they are hollow. The old ones weren't as pretty but didn't feel as if you could flip them over. Finally, they added a bunch of self-checkouts and reduced number of cashiered lanes open at all times. My first experience with self-check at Target and they don't seem to be a good match with Targets that require use of paper bags, like this one.

The grocery area in the MB store looks much darker than the one in the photos on the post. Too dark; almost...grungy. The new packaging on private label Market Pantry goods looks great for now and is a huge upgrade, but will age quickly in my opinion. (A cool article on the Market Pantry refresh can be found here: http://www.underconsideration.com/brand ... fisher.php

(Sorry for the Market Pantry tangent but I associate it with this remodel due to timing.)

The nicest looking part of the remodel is by far the Starbucks, which has been greatly expanded and looks very ornate. They removed "Skedaddles" snack area and replaced with a Which Wich. The Which Wich counter is just a tall stainless steel counter, looks quite plain.

Hope I don't sound completely negative. It does look more modern. But I feel it's a very shallow veneer on a cheaped-out overall concept.

The nice thing about the Manhattan Beach Target is they have self-checkout on BOTH sides of the regular cashier checkout lanes. I haven't seen that anywhere else. I do like self-checkout at Target since I am a big coupon user and you can scan your own coupons like Vons/Pavilions (the price gun does a great job when the scanner doesn't scan the coupon). Manhattan Beach Target prices tend to be higher than other Target locations. Not pleased with that.

[storewanderer]

Kroger has been deploying new software for self checkouts which allow self scanning of coupons. This software is the same one used by Ahold, CVS, and some other random chains. I think it may be a loophole. First you have to press the finish/pay. Then, if you press the coupon button then quickly scan a coupon (like a second or two apart) it lets you scan them and complete the transaction without any intervention from the employee whatsoever (just drop the coupons off with the employee on your way out). I think if you hit finish/pay then try to scan a coupon (without hitting coupon first) then it will lock up and say attendant has been notified to assist you.

It appears if you press the coupon button and wait more than a couple seconds it locks up and says attendant has been notified to assist you. In that case the employee scans their card and then scans the coupons on the big scanner attached to the self checkout immediately. No more coupons disappearing up to that attendant station and watching to make sure they take all of them off...

I'm glad Wal Mart, Save Mart, CVS, and Raleys allow self scan of coupons.