Target 2022

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Romr123
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Target 2022

Post by Romr123 »

I'll kick off a discussion of Target 2022 with a report from my visit last night at about 6:30 to the Super Target in Menifee, CA. Right off the interstate in a power center format, the roadways were approaching gridlock at dinnertime. Was able to park and enter. The previously reported poaching of grocery managers in the Inland empire by Amazon is telling. The Pizza Hut Express...closed. Deli--feet after feet of pre-made commissary sandwiches. Right in front of the "Fresh or Free rotisserie chicken from 4-7 was entirely empty and dark. One person wiping down cases, not clear if the deli was open or not at all. Likewise, bakery dark with displayfulls of Favorite Day thaw and sell (though the rotary oven in back did have it's pilot lights on). Meat (entirely case-ready) looked reasonably good. Produce was lightly though completely stocked (though navel oranges--in the Inland Empire--imported from Chile??? (IDK what a conteporary Walmart looks like, all the fresh departments were laughable compared to even the worst Meijer). Huge amounts of stock-outs in dry grocery and dairy, and seeming entire brands were cleaned out (tags still present, just not a single package of specific brands available). Rest of store looked quite bright and cheery, it had recently been remodeled to what I'd class is equivalent to the most upscale Meijer general merchandise appearance, which they wouldn't use in a similar exurban neighborhood

3 staffed checkouts and a mazefull of SCO.

I've never really walked the aisles of a Super Target grocery section, and they do have an interesting selection (some interesting gourmet and specialty items) but I really cannot see doing all the shopping there...they've neutered it to a pFresh on steroids.
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Re: Target 2022

Post by jamcool »

I’ve noticed half empty shelves at the Phoenix Target stores, especially in the grocery section, but even in other departments. The Walmarts here seem to be better stocked than the Targets
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Re: Target 2022

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jamcool wrote: February 6th, 2022, 10:30 am I’ve noticed half empty shelves at the Phoenix Target stores, especially in the grocery section, but even in other departments. The Walmarts here seem to be better stocked than the Targets
I too have noticed this. I have complained multiple times to Target Corporate about the conditions of the food area in their Reno location. I get a lot of lip service but nothing ever changes. It is clear they do not care, have no interest in running an operation with fresh meat or fresh produce. Or they don't even know what a fresh meat/fresh produce display is supposed to look like, or they don't have the logistics to make it work (they are using C&S... C&S can get this stuff for other operators in the region... so if they can't get it right that seems to be an issue with them not with C&S).

They probably sell less than $500 a day of meat and produce out of their p-fresh joke in Reno, so maybe they have no reason to care. Okay, so just go ahead and remove the items then.

The conditions of the Super Target you describe sound pretty typical of Super Targets, perhaps below average, but not outrageously bad relative to how they usually are in these markets with so much competition/better options.

As far as the oranges from Chile comment- that is because those oranges are old and have been there for months. Oranges started coming from US sources back in November. They aren't rotating or moving much produce so this is what you get.
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Re: Target 2022

Post by BatteryMill »

Romr123 wrote: February 6th, 2022, 9:12 am I'll kick off a discussion of Target 2022 with a report from my visit last night at about 6:30 to the Super Target in Menifee, CA. Right off the interstate in a power center format, the roadways were approaching gridlock at dinnertime. Was able to park and enter. The previously reported poaching of grocery managers in the Inland empire by Amazon is telling. The Pizza Hut Express...closed. Deli--feet after feet of pre-made commissary sandwiches. Right in front of the "Fresh or Free rotisserie chicken from 4-7 was entirely empty and dark. One person wiping down cases, not clear if the deli was open or not at all. Likewise, bakery dark with displayfulls of Favorite Day thaw and sell (though the rotary oven in back did have it's pilot lights on). Meat (entirely case-ready) looked reasonably good. Produce was lightly though completely stocked (though navel oranges--in the Inland Empire--imported from Chile??? (IDK what a conteporary Walmart looks like, all the fresh departments were laughable compared to even the worst Meijer). Huge amounts of stock-outs in dry grocery and dairy, and seeming entire brands were cleaned out (tags still present, just not a single package of specific brands available). Rest of store looked quite bright and cheery, it had recently been remodeled to what I'd class is equivalent to the most upscale Meijer general merchandise appearance, which they wouldn't use in a similar exurban neighborhood

3 staffed checkouts and a mazefull of SCO.

I've never really walked the aisles of a Super Target grocery section, and they do have an interesting selection (some interesting gourmet and specialty items) but I really cannot see doing all the shopping there...they've neutered it to a pFresh on steroids.
Did the SuperTarget receive any remodel? I cannot tell if they truncated deli/bakery to coolers as some SuperTargets have, or if the counters remain open.
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Re: Target 2022

Post by storewanderer »

BatteryMill wrote: February 6th, 2022, 12:16 pm

Did the SuperTarget receive any remodel? I cannot tell if they truncated deli/bakery to coolers as some SuperTargets have, or if the counters remain open.
The remodeled Super Targets continue to have a tiny lunchmeat counter that isn't staffed and looks abandoned (has a service bell) and the bakery areas continue to have what they had before- a large self serve cake case (which is basically defrost and serve city) and a large self serve case for donuts/bagels but I haven't seen donuts in a long time; they do usually have some bagels. And maybe they still make a few donuts but just didn't have any when I have been in the stores.
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Re: Target 2022

Post by BatteryMill »

storewanderer wrote: February 6th, 2022, 6:05 pm
BatteryMill wrote: February 6th, 2022, 12:16 pm

Did the SuperTarget receive any remodel? I cannot tell if they truncated deli/bakery to coolers as some SuperTargets have, or if the counters remain open.
The remodeled Super Targets continue to have a tiny lunchmeat counter that isn't staffed and looks abandoned (has a service bell) and the bakery areas continue to have what they had before- a large self serve cake case (which is basically defrost and serve city) and a large self serve case for donuts/bagels but I haven't seen donuts in a long time; they do usually have some bagels. And maybe they still make a few donuts but just didn't have any when I have been in the stores.
One I know has this format, but I do see team members working behind the deli counter, and packages of donuts. Although I wonder, were these counters ever busy even when the last STs opened? Are these still afloat?
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Re: Target 2022

Post by Romr123 »

The remodel status here seemed to be complete and as mentioned---loads of thaw and sell bakery and a dim, dark lunch meat case without any logical way to buy it.

Regarding the oranges from Chile--I'm only pointing out the ridiculousness of selling these in the Inland Empire of California in the middle of the orange season. These were orange groves until 25 years ago when they cleared them for housing. I just picked some oranges off the trees in our condo complex for the early part of the week.

This is just about as ridiculous as Costco's produce sourcing---blister-packed apples from Washington....really!

Meijer (along with any other local/regional/national food chain) happily sells and touts local produce (sourced from each of their states) during the appropriate season (at Meijer stay away from apple week in September---hoo boy what a mobscene) . The thought of Chilean blueberries at Meijer, Kroger or SpartanNash during Michigan blueberry season is...laughable. This is just as stupid.

Walmart likewise doesn't do stupid stuff like that--I've seen some of their promotion of local/regional growers for melons
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Re: Target 2022

Post by storewanderer »

Romr123 wrote: February 6th, 2022, 6:58 pm The remodel status here seemed to be complete and as mentioned---loads of thaw and sell bakery and a dim, dark lunch meat case without any logical way to buy it.

Regarding the oranges from Chile--I'm only pointing out the ridiculousness of selling these in the Inland Empire of California in the middle of the orange season. These were orange groves until 25 years ago when they cleared them for housing. I just picked some oranges off the trees in our condo complex for the early part of the week.

I bet if you looked around you would find oranges from Chile at other low volume grocery operations, particularly the pre-bagged sections which often are overlooked and not cared for very well. It wouldn't surprise me if Target got some new oranges in at some point since November, put them on top of these old Chile ones, the new ones sold, and the old tired ones from Chile are still sitting there since nobody at Target knows how to run a produce department or has any clue what items are in season and where items can come from. One of the things a good produce clerk knows is what is in season and what isn't and seeing country of origin labeling from an out of season source, when something has been in season in the store's region for months, should be a red flag it is time to do some rotating out of the stuff from the out of season source... and the time that should have been noticed was back in November.
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Re: Target 2022

Post by Bagels »

Romr123 wrote: February 6th, 2022, 6:58 pm Regarding the oranges from Chile--I'm only pointing out the ridiculousness of selling these in the Inland Empire of California in the middle of the orange season. These were orange groves until 25 years ago when they cleared them for housing. I just picked some oranges off the trees in our condo complex for the early part of the week.

This is just about as ridiculous as Costco's produce sourcing---blister-packed apples from Washington....really!

Meijer (along with any other local/regional/national food chain) happily sells and touts local produce (sourced from each of their states) during the appropriate season (at Meijer stay away from apple week in September---hoo boy what a mobscene) . The thought of Chilean blueberries at Meijer, Kroger or SpartanNash during Michigan blueberry season is...laughable. This is just as stupid.

Walmart likewise doesn't do stupid stuff like that--I've seen some of their promotion of local/regional growers for melons
The domestic orange crop is weak. Florida had its worst harvest in 76 years, and California’s is expected to be up to 25% less than last year. In SoCal, Albertsons/Vons, Ralphs and even Walmart were charging $10.99 for an 8 lb bag fruit. As we pass the peak of the harvest season, the price has dropped to around $8, but that’s a historic high — in the 2010s, it was pretty common to see 8-10 lb bags sell for $3-$5.

Because of the high cost, many chains have purchased imported citrus, primarily from Mexico. You can purchase an 8 lb bag for $4 - half of the CA - at the 99 and many ethnic markets.

BTW - “local” produce is just a marketing gimmick. Every single chain uses local and regional produce as much as possible, because transporting produce is very, very expensive. That’s why sweet potatoes from North Carolina are dominate in the east, and sweet potatoes from California dominate in the west. Or cucumbers from Florida in the east, California in the west. Or apples from Michigan as a lower cost alternative in the east, and from Idaho (or elsewhere) in the west.
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Re: Target 2022

Post by storewanderer »

Bagels wrote: February 7th, 2022, 1:32 pm
The domestic orange crop is weak. Florida had its worst harvest in 76 years, and California’s is expected to be up to 25% less than last year. In SoCal, Albertsons/Vons, Ralphs and even Walmart were charging $10.99 for an 8 lb bag fruit. As we pass the peak of the harvest season, the price has dropped to around $8, but that’s a historic high — in the 2010s, it was pretty common to see 8-10 lb bags sell for $3-$5.

Because of the high cost, many chains have purchased imported citrus, primarily from Mexico. You can purchase an 8 lb bag for $4 - half of the CA - at the 99 and many ethnic markets.

BTW - “local” produce is just a marketing gimmick. Every single chain uses local and regional produce as much as possible, because transporting produce is very, very expensive. That’s why sweet potatoes from North Carolina are dominate in the east, and sweet potatoes from California dominate in the west. Or cucumbers from Florida in the east, California in the west. Or apples from Michigan as a lower cost alternative in the east, and from Idaho (or elsewhere) in the west.
During November and December I noticed Smiths (supplied from Utah distro) as well as the AFS-Utah independents got in loads of the smaller/medium 3107 Sunkist Oranges with USA label (not sure what state) and were running them 2 pounds for $1 (regular around 1.29/lb). These were really good oranges with a fairly thin skin and great juice level. One Smiths had so many left around Christmas they put a handwritten sign up for the couple days leading into Christmas- "Merry Christmas- Navels 5 pounds $1." It was a great deal, in store special that came up without loyalty card, and I am just finishing up the last of them. Since then I have noticed orange prices increasing as you describe. Also lime prices are higher than I've ever seen them. For some reason lemon pricing is about typical.

Interestingly, Target has one of the best prices for individual oranges at this point: 55 cents each. Yet for some reason, their oranges still look very tired.
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