Tiny Targets for tiny spaces
Target announced they will be veering away from their superstore strategy at least for a while.
Fear not, Target isn’t closing; instead, they will be opening 15 new mini-stores in urban areas where Target-loving customers have previously been traveling large distances to shop at their favorite store. Some of the new locations include California, New York, Philadelphia, and Illinois.
Smaller selection, smaller spaces
The mini-stores will range from approximately 19,000 square feet to 45,000 square feet, which is quite a reduction from the typical 80,000 to 160,000 square feet customary in the larger Target stores. The smaller stores will still feature the same departments, for the most part, but will most likely be geared towards the needs of the urban communities.
For example, the home section may have more items geared towards apartment and dorm-dwellers for communities where the greater portions of the customers are in need of these items. The stores will still feature home, apparel, beauty, tech, and groceries; just in smaller selections and smaller spaces.
Online shopping hasn’t completely taken over yet
This says something about brick-and-mortar stores as a whole though, in my opinion; the opening of Target’s mini-stores says that even in the digital age of online shopping and instant gratification, consumers still want to come to a regular store and shop.
Target isn’t the first company to understand this concept and take action, however.
Recently, Amazon opened a brick-and-mortar bookstore and it’s glorious. It’s also very popular. Even though Amazon is known for their two-day shipping and Prime perks, their offline store is doing quite well; again proving, customers still enjoy and patronize brick-and-mortar stores.
More than one way to shop
While Target is the newest kid on the block to add additional stores to their repertoire, they certainly won’t be the last, in my opinion.
The Internet may be the quickest, easiest way to get what you need when you need it, but it certainly isn’t the only way and I believe the addition of Target’s mini-stores show there is more than one way to shop and people enjoy having the option of choosing whether to shop online or in-store.
