3 Major Target Shopping Changes Coming to Stores This Month
Even though Target is the kind of store that provides everything from home goods to groceries, there’s no denying that the company has struggled in recent months. The company is still struggling as customers abandon the Bullseye in light of corporate management abandoning its DEI policies early last year. But the iconic retailer isn’t taking its flagging sales lying down. Now, Target has announced some major shopping changes that will be coming to store this month.
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1. Target’s making a bigger push into beauty.
Over the past few years, Target shoppers have enjoyed access to beauty and cosmetic products, thanks to the company’s partnership with Ulta Beauty that brought store-in-stores to locations across the U.S. But with the arrangement scheduled to end in August, the retailer is making moves to beef up its own offerings.
On Jan. 28, Target announced that it would add more than 3,000 new beauty products to its shelves in the coming months, Retail Dive reports. This includes more than 60 new brands, with more than 90 percent of new items priced at $20 or less. Many of the new products will be available before the end of the month.
The way you shop for your beauty products at Target will also likely change. The store announced that it will rearrange the section’s current layout to emphasize trending products and update its fragrance and haircare displays to better inform shoppers of their uses and benefits, per Retail Dive.
“Beauty is incredibly important and deeply personal to our guests, so our team has worked with beauty powerhouses and small, innovative, emerging brands alike to bring thousands of new products to the mix,” Amanda Nusz, senior vice president of merchandising, essentials, and beauty for Target, said in a press release announcing the changes.
“We ended up with a Spring beauty lineup that reflects what guests are looking for right now—exciting new discoveries, Target‑only exclusives, and prices that feel good,” she added.
2. Target is opening new locations.
Last month, Target announced it would cut the ribbon on more than 30 new stores by the end of the year, according to Progressive Grocer.
This includes over half a dozen locations that will open on March 15 across California, Missouri, New Jersey, North Carolina, and Texas. They include:
- Bakersfield, California
- Delano, California
- Springfield, Missouri
- Jersey City, New Jersey
- Fuquay Varina, North Carolina
- Oak Cliff, Texas
- West Orange, New Jersey (opening March 29)
A majority of these new stores will feature the chain’s new, larger layout, with 125,000 square feet of shopping space, per Progressive Grocer. They’ll also include store-in-store sections and add-ons like Starbucks, CVS Pharmacy, and Apple. All of the upcoming seven locations will feature same-day delivery options and curbside drive-up pickup options for shoppers as well.
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3. Target is making staffing changes.
With online shopping growing in popularity, perfecting the in-store experience is more important than ever, and Target is taking note. On Feb. 9, the retailer announced that it would cut 500 jobs at its distribution centers and in management positions, CNBC reports.
An internal memo sent to employees via email outlined the company’s latest move, which includes using the cash freed up by the latest downsizing to better support in-store staffing.
“This change also fuels our ability to put significantly more payroll in our stores—primarily in additional labor and hours where needed most, but also in new guest experience training for every team member at every store,” Gretchen McCarthy, chief supply chain and logistics officer, wrote in the email.
However, some have called out the retailer recently for apparently trying too hard. The store faced backlash on social media for a policy it enacted last year requiring employees to smile, wave, and speak to customers when they’re approached, The New York Post reports.