Target using lowercase "target" on full-scale stores

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Re: Target using lowercase "target" on full-scale stores

Post by rwsandiego »

architect wrote: October 18th, 2018, 8:28 pm New Target at Preston Center in Dallas which uses lower case font extensively: https://www.bizjournals.com/dallas/news ... enter.html

I will try to drop by this store and follow up with a review sometime in the next few days. It will be interesting to see if the small-format concept works in Dallas, typically a primarily car-driven city.
It would surprise me if it didn't, as the one here in car-driven Phoenix gets very busy.
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Re: Target using lowercase "target" on full-scale stores

Post by BatteryMill »

Now here is something I have noticed alongside the rollout of their new lowercase wordmark.
Target seems to have not given the SuperTarget logo a refresh and has allocated remodeled STs to the main brand. This may be a reasonable shift given PFresh remodels have outmoded Supers, and also on the account of Target desiring brand simplicity (as with the small-format stores that were mainstreamed). Despite these changes however, these remodeled stores remain unlike others given their larger floorplan and omnipresence of a service deli/bakery (in most ST stores).

What do you say of this change? How will they move about this branding effort?
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Re: Target using lowercase "target" on full-scale stores

Post by architect »

BatteryMill wrote: August 6th, 2019, 4:38 pm Now here is something I have noticed alongside the rollout of their new lowercase wordmark.
Target seems to have not given the SuperTarget logo a refresh and has allocated remodeled STs to the main brand. This may be a reasonable shift given PFresh remodels have outmoded Supers, and also on the account of Target desiring brand simplicity (as with the small-format stores that were mainstreamed). Despite these changes however, these remodeled stores remain unlike others given their larger floorplan and omnipresence of a service deli/bakery (in most ST stores).

What do you say of this change? How will they move about this branding effort?
Actually, at least in the Texas markets, there have been three different "tiers" of SuperTarget remodeling. None have resulted in a SuperTarget being rebranded as Target without a resulting loss of amenities which would bring said store in line with a PFresh however, like you described. The three "tiers" seen in Texas are as follows:

1. Full store remodel including grocery decor to match the PFresh remodels from the past couple of years. These stores have retained their service deli/bakery and have even received all new grocery fixtures in these departments. The only department to be removed was the fresh cut meat/seafood counter, which had generally been inactive for years anyway. Throughout the rest of the store, almost all fixtures have been replaced, lighting has been enhanced, and entire departments have been moved around. These stores have retained their SuperTarget branding and have received new signage to match the current font and logo design. Examples of this remodel include Coit/Campbell in Dallas, Park/Dallas North Tollway in Plano and 75/University in McKinney, among many, many others. The majority of SuperTargets in DFW have received this package (outside of the locations described in tier 2 below along with some late 2000's locations which still have yet to be remodeled).

2. Light store remodel while still retaining full grocery: These stores are SuperTarget locations which are seemingly lower volume and have received light remodeling over the past couple of years, mainly just to bring them out of their previous early 2000's decor. In non-grocery departments, walls have been repainted red and department signage has been replaced, but outside of that, lighting, fixtures and flooring have been mostly left as-is. In grocery, walls have been simply repainted gray with simplified signage to match the typical department signage across the rest of the store (or in some cases, simply painting bakery, deli, etc. in dark grey paint onto the walls). My assumption is that Target is holding off on extensively investing in these stores until long term plans have been determined for them. Aside from replacing signage which is worn or damaged, the old cursive-script "Super Target" signage remains at these stores. Three DFW locations fall under this umbrella including Garland Avenue/Bush Turnpike in Garland, Plano Road/Belt Line in Richardson, and Pleasant Run/Highway 67 in Cedar Hill, along with several others around the state. Of note, at lease one of these stores in Houston (at Cypresswood/I-45) has since lost it's service bakery/deli, which brings me to the third "tier" or remodel.

3. Elimination of service departments entirely, and downconversion to standard Target: At least two instances of this have taken place in Texas thus far. One location is the aforementioned Cypresswood/I-45 store, which originally received a light remodel a couple of years back but has since receive a larger-scale remodel coinciding with the removal of its service bakery/deli. Of note however, the produce and grocery departments have still maintained a far more extensive product selection than your typical PFresh, somewhat making this store a hybrid. The other example of this is the SuperTarget in Humble which was flooded out during Harvey and had its service departments removed during interior reconstruction. Similarly, the grocery selection here is far more extensive than your normal PFresh. Both of these stores received new Target branding, including the lowercase wordmark which is becoming increasingly common.
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Re: Target using lowercase "target" on full-scale stores

Post by rwsandiego »

architect wrote: August 6th, 2019, 6:05 pm
BatteryMill wrote: August 6th, 2019, 4:38 pm Now here is something I have noticed alongside the rollout of their new lowercase wordmark.
Target seems to have not given the SuperTarget logo a refresh and has allocated remodeled STs to the main brand. This may be a reasonable shift given PFresh remodels have outmoded Supers, and also on the account of Target desiring brand simplicity (as with the small-format stores that were mainstreamed). Despite these changes however, these remodeled stores remain unlike others given their larger floorplan and omnipresence of a service deli/bakery (in most ST stores).

What do you say of this change? How will they move about this branding effort?
Actually, at least in the Texas markets, there have been three different "tiers" of SuperTarget remodeling. None have resulted in a SuperTarget being rebranded as Target without a resulting loss of amenities which would bring said store in line with a PFresh however, like you described. The three "tiers" seen in Texas are as follows:

1. Full store remodel including grocery decor to match the PFresh remodels from the past couple of years. These stores have retained their service deli/bakery and have even received all new grocery fixtures in these departments. The only department to be removed was the fresh cut meat/seafood counter, which had generally been inactive for years anyway. Throughout the rest of the store, almost all fixtures have been replaced, lighting has been enhanced, and entire departments have been moved around. These stores have retained their SuperTarget branding and have received new signage to match the current font and logo design. Examples of this remodel include Coit/Campbell in Dallas, Park/Dallas North Tollway in Plano and 75/University in McKinney, among many, many others. The majority of SuperTargets in DFW have received this package (outside of the locations described in tier 2 below along with some late 2000's locations which still have yet to be remodeled).

2. Light store remodel while still retaining full grocery: These stores are SuperTarget locations which are seemingly lower volume and have received light remodeling over the past couple of years, mainly just to bring them out of their previous early 2000's decor. In non-grocery departments, walls have been repainted red and department signage has been replaced, but outside of that, lighting, fixtures and flooring have been mostly left as-is. In grocery, walls have been simply repainted gray with simplified signage to match the typical department signage across the rest of the store (or in some cases, simply painting bakery, deli, etc. in dark grey paint onto the walls). My assumption is that Target is holding off on extensively investing in these stores until long term plans have been determined for them. Aside from replacing signage which is worn or damaged, the old cursive-script "Super Target" signage remains at these stores. Three DFW locations fall under this umbrella including Garland Avenue/Bush Turnpike in Garland, Plano Road/Belt Line in Richardson, and Pleasant Run/Highway 67 in Cedar Hill, along with several others around the state. Of note, at lease one of these stores in Houston (at Cypresswood/I-45) has since lost it's service bakery/deli, which brings me to the third "tier" or remodel.

3. Elimination of service departments entirely, and downconversion to standard Target: At least two instances of this have taken place in Texas thus far. One location is the aforementioned Cypresswood/I-45 store, which originally received a light remodel a couple of years back but has since receive a larger-scale remodel coinciding with the removal of its service bakery/deli. Of note however, the produce and grocery departments have still maintained a far more extensive product selection than your typical PFresh, somewhat making this store a hybrid. The other example of this is the SuperTarget in Humble which was flooded out during Harvey and had its service departments removed during interior reconstruction. Similarly, the grocery selection here is far more extensive than your normal PFresh. Both of these stores received new Target branding, including the lowercase wordmark which is becoming increasingly common.
Target did something completely different at the former Super Target in Queen Creek, AZ. For starters, it was re-branded "target" with a lower-case "t." Second, the fresh meat and bakery counters remain. the decor of the grocery side looks nothing like the rest of the store. It is done in woodgrain department signs and I din't remember what the aisle markets look like. the rest of the store was done in the current Target decor style. I wish they would apply the same treatment to the Crisstown Super Target and the new style at the Arcadia store. That place needs a complete reno. Tempe Marketplace, on the other hand, looks great with the all-red design.
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Re: Target using lowercase "target" on full-scale stores

Post by BatteryMill »

architect wrote: August 6th, 2019, 6:05 pm Actually, at least in the Texas markets, there have been three different "tiers" of SuperTarget remodeling. None have resulted in a SuperTarget being rebranded as Target without a resulting loss of amenities which would bring said store in line with a PFresh however, like you described. The three "tiers" seen in Texas are as follows:

1. Full store remodel including grocery decor to match the PFresh remodels from the past couple of years. These stores have retained their service deli/bakery and have even received all new grocery fixtures in these departments. The only department to be removed was the fresh cut meat/seafood counter, which had generally been inactive for years anyway. Throughout the rest of the store, almost all fixtures have been replaced, lighting has been enhanced, and entire departments have been moved around. These stores have retained their SuperTarget branding and have received new signage to match the current font and logo design. Examples of this remodel include Coit/Campbell in Dallas, Park/Dallas North Tollway in Plano and 75/University in McKinney, among many, many others. The majority of SuperTargets in DFW have received this package (outside of the locations described in tier 2 below along with some late 2000's locations which still have yet to be remodeled).

2. Light store remodel while still retaining full grocery: These stores are SuperTarget locations which are seemingly lower volume and have received light remodeling over the past couple of years, mainly just to bring them out of their previous early 2000's decor. In non-grocery departments, walls have been repainted red and department signage has been replaced, but outside of that, lighting, fixtures and flooring have been mostly left as-is. In grocery, walls have been simply repainted gray with simplified signage to match the typical department signage across the rest of the store (or in some cases, simply painting bakery, deli, etc. in dark grey paint onto the walls). My assumption is that Target is holding off on extensively investing in these stores until long term plans have been determined for them. Aside from replacing signage which is worn or damaged, the old cursive-script "Super Target" signage remains at these stores. Three DFW locations fall under this umbrella including Garland Avenue/Bush Turnpike in Garland, Plano Road/Belt Line in Richardson, and Pleasant Run/Highway 67 in Cedar Hill, along with several others around the state. Of note, at lease one of these stores in Houston (at Cypresswood/I-45) has since lost it's service bakery/deli, which brings me to the third "tier" or remodel.

3. Elimination of service departments entirely, and downconversion to standard Target: At least two instances of this have taken place in Texas thus far. One location is the aforementioned Cypresswood/I-45 store, which originally received a light remodel a couple of years back but has since receive a larger-scale remodel coinciding with the removal of its service bakery/deli. Of note however, the produce and grocery departments have still maintained a far more extensive product selection than your typical PFresh, somewhat making this store a hybrid. The other example of this is the SuperTarget in Humble which was flooded out during Harvey and had its service departments removed during interior reconstruction. Similarly, the grocery selection here is far more extensive than your normal PFresh. Both of these stores received new Target branding, including the lowercase wordmark which is becoming increasingly common.
Interesting list! I have seen examples of #1 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/batterymi ... 663016202/ Gainesville, VA) and #2 (https://bit.ly/2Tf1cRj Rogers, MN) above. I like how the #2 type stores keep the whole aesthetic of classic Target with modern decor.

The smaller remodels are typically known as "Innovation" remodels, which are resets of select departments such as electronics (E&E), softlines (A&A), and home goods. They helped to enhance these sectors before the whole remodel wave, and served as the base for these changes.
rwsandiego wrote: August 6th, 2019, 9:44 pm Target did something completely different at the former Super Target in Queen Creek, AZ. For starters, it was re-branded "target" with a lower-case "t." Second, the fresh meat and bakery counters remain. the decor of the grocery side looks nothing like the rest of the store. It is done in woodgrain department signs and I din't remember what the aisle markets look like. the rest of the store was done in the current Target decor style. I wish they would apply the same treatment to the Crisstown Super Target and the new style at the Arcadia store. That place needs a complete reno. Tempe Marketplace, on the other hand, looks great with the all-red design.
As RW pointed out above, the lowercase logo and regular Target branding is now the standard for all STs remodeled recently. Other stores, such as in Edina, MN and Leesburg, VA have also done the same.

The "SuperTarget" branding seems to have only been retired within the past year, as most of architect's stores remodeled prior to the introduction of said logo. As I've said, it may create confusion as to whether these stores should be known as "SuperTargets" or "those Targets with deli and bakery departments". I will argue that STs, "Super-" prefix or not, are still a different breed than the rest. Their grocery area, with its location and amenities is more conducive to full grocery shopping that is important to stores like Target and Walmart. While PFresh stores also have a significant selection of food, these stores are still more oriented to grocery in several ways. Additionally, SuperTargets have been home to definitive versions of their new concept. All have double entrances, up to 30 registers, and never experienced a loss of GM space that PFresh remodels were infamous for.

On another note, Target has also brought the lowercase onto newly redesigned trailers. Alongside this branding, the trailers also feature a cartoon of their mascot, Bullseye looking out of a box (in the most 2010s art style I've seen). This is likely the first time they have updated their fleet's look since the early 2000s.
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Re: Target using lowercase "target" on full-scale stores

Post by pseudo3d »

A recent drive through Houston highways shows that many of the roadside signage has changed to the new lower case lettering. Frankly, I'm torn about the retiring of the SuperTarget name--the PFresh stuff has diluted that, and as we know, not all grocery stores are created equal...
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Re: Target using lowercase "target" on full-scale stores

Post by veteran+ »

I agree (selfishly)!!

I was a big fan of the Super Target format but there were so few.
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Re: Target using lowercase "target" on full-scale stores

Post by BatteryMill »

pseudo3d wrote: December 10th, 2019, 7:25 am A recent drive through Houston highways shows that many of the roadside signage has changed to the new lower case lettering. Frankly, I'm torn about the retiring of the SuperTarget name--the PFresh stuff has diluted that, and as we know, not all grocery stores are created equal...
They've been updating those signs en masse? I thought Houston's stores remodeled in 2017 before the ST marquee was discontinued.

It's a shame for me overall too, those stores were certainly unique with layout, size, and features compared to classic Targets. While even then it's been outmoded, I'd still be fine with ST having been prevalent in higher-volume/grocery-focused areas or adapted to boosting the GM areas outside the regular stores' mainframe.

Also, I do have theories as to why the banner was discontinued. Seeing as Target is remodeling many of their stores, they are looking to install new, flashy signs. The newer Target signs are often larger and fit such criteria. Adding the "Super" prefix and designing a new lowercase variant would be more costly in time, money, and resources. Plus, it seems a Walmart-type route was definitely easy to take.
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Re: Target using lowercase "target" on full-scale stores

Post by Super S »

I drove by the Kelso, WA Target store today, a store which has given mixed signals about its future over the last few years. Sometime in the past month or so, all of the outside signage has been replaced. One side has the lowercase logo present, one side just has a small red bullseye present, and the front entryway has been repainted red with a large white bullseye. I am not sure if anything has been updated inside, but it is worth noting that this store's last remodel was 15+ years ago, and locally Walmart and Fred Meyer recently updated, so it's due. This location is one that never even got a Pfresh remodel.
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Re: Target using lowercase "target" on full-scale stores

Post by Alpha8472 »

Stores near me that were remodeled a couple of years ago received the bulleye logo only. The word Target was removed. Then in recent remodels this year with the Next Gen decor, Target stores received the bullseye and the lower case target lettering. The unique thing about the most recent Next Gen remodels is the brown faux wood paneling that is added to the exteriors of the buildings. At first, the wood paneling was only on part of the facade for stores. Now for the newest Next Gen remodels the wood paneling is quite extensive and covers much more of the facade. There is more brown than red on a Target store now.
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