target doubles down apple
8 months ago
Published February 26, 2021 by

Retail: Target doubles down on Apple

From a press release posted Thursday: “Target Debuts Apple Shopping Destination With Expanded Footprint, Extended Assortment and Enhanced Services“

Target Corporation today announced an enhanced Apple shopping experience for its guests. The new shopping experience debuts online and will begin rolling out in select locations this month, with additional locations scheduled to roll out by the end of this fall…

“Apple products are popular with Target’s guests, and this new, dedicated shopping experience offers enhanced service and expanded offerings, building on our strength as a go-to destination for electronics,” said Christina Hennington, executive vice president and chief growth officer at Target. “This new model was created with Target’s guests in mind, and we’ll continue to learn and enhance the experience through future rollouts later this year.”

This new initiative with Apple builds on Target’s success with other strategic partners, including Disney, Ulta Beauty and most recently, Levi Strauss & Co., making Target the ultimate destination for the most sought-after national brands, alongside its stable of coveted owned brands.

My take: Target and Apple share some DNA. But Apple, Disney, Levi and Ulta? One of these brands is not like the others.

Below: Store list…

The dedicated Apple shopping destinations will begin setting at the following 17 Target stores, with additional locations rolling out in 2021 and beyond:

T2180    (Monticello, MN)
T0324    (San Jose, CA)
T1397    (Oklahoma City, OK)
T2516    (Allen, TX)
T1766    (Hurst, TX)
T1797    (Austin, TX)
T1032    (Irving, TX)
T1354    (San Antonio, TX)
T0687    (Gainesville, FL)
T1790    (Orlando, FL)
T1820    (Clearwater, FL)
T2848    (Miami, FL)
T1159    (North Wales, PA)
T2764    (Newark, DE)
T1266    (Woburn, MA)
T1532    (Nashua, NH)
T1915    (Latham, NY)

9 Comments

  1. Jerry Doyle said:
    “…. and this new, dedicated shopping experience offers enhanced service…”.

    I assume the employees will be Target employees trained by Apple? It would be unlikely the employees would be Apple employees working in the store under supervision of Target management while following Apple policies that may not always be congruent with Target’s. An example being closing of Apple stores during pandemic when perhaps Target stores decide to remain open.

    0
    February 26, 2021
    • Shamwil Al-Amin said:
      There will be Apple employees there along with Target people just like in Best Buy.

      0
      February 26, 2021
  2. Jerry Doyle said:
    Just another thought. Target is a more upscale retail clientele and I suspect that most Target consumers already are Apple users. So, I do not know if this new store model will address Apple product expansion as much as Apple service expansion as oppose to this store model being established with say, Wal-mart.

    0
    February 26, 2021
    • John Konopka said:
      Really? Target is upscale? Compared to what? I have little sense of retailers. I would put Nieman Marcus and Macy’s as more upscale than Target. But Target is a step up from Walmart. Speaking as a guy who rarely visits any of these places.

      2
      February 26, 2021
      • Jerry Doyle said:
        @John Konopka: Yes, Target is considered an “upscale” discount chain. Target appeals to a range of customer segments including women, families, kids, teens & singles. Typically, customers are college educated, middle class & live an active lifestyle.

        Neiman Marcus is a specialty boutique format retail department store which includes Bergdorf Goodman, more posh than Target. These retailers offer upscale assortments of apparel, accessories, jewelry, beauty and decorative home products.

        Target AND Macy’s are Department Stores, both considered in the same segment, the oldest and often largest place for consumers to shop for a variety of products under one roof.

        You should visit them for a better understanding about their operations. Better yet, you should study them and consider “Target” as a good retail investment option. I recommend that you avoid investing in Macy’s.

        https://www.the-numbers-guys.com/blog/an-analysis-on-the-current-and-future-marketing-of-target-corporation-part-1-current-marketing-strategy-mission-statement-values-goals-and-target-markets

        4
        February 26, 2021
  3. Fred Stein said:
    Good for Target, one of the few retailers doing well despite Covid.

    Good for Apple expanding their reach to more neighborhoods and getting more people trained on sales and support. One more incremental move to support long-term growth.

    6
    February 26, 2021
    • David Emery said:
      Target has long had supply chain problems, well before Covid. That’s my wife’s preferred store for ‘general stuff’, and a lot of time something she’s bought there before will be out of stock for weeks or even months. That probably won’t impact the Apple stores inside selected Target locations, but it does substantially impact how I, at least, feel about that store.

      Didn’t Best Buy try “Apple store-in-a-store”? It’s interesting BB is closing stores and laying off full-time workers. (“too many full time, need more part time”) That makes me wonder how well any store can retain Apple expertise, and whether Apple would be happy with “amateurs” selling Apple products to ‘Mom and Pop.”

      0
      February 26, 2021
  4. Bart Yee said:
    Also, Target is a key retailer (like Best Buy) that accepts Apple Pay (unlike Walmart, Home Depot, Lowe’s) so forging a stronger bond with Apple users brings higher spending foot traffic into Target, win-win.

    4
    February 26, 2021
  5. Steven Philips said:
    Shoppers are now “guests”?
    Where will the BS end?

    1
    February 26, 2021

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