![Target stores footprint 2020-12](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f9/Target_stores_footprint_2020-12.png)
Target Corporation (
doing business as
A trade name, trading name, or business name, is a pseudonym used by companies that do not operate under their registered company name. The term for this type of alternative name is a "fictitious" business name. Registering the fictitious name w ...
Target and stylized in
all lowercase
Letter case is the distinction between the letters that are in larger uppercase or capitals (or more formally ''majuscule'') and smaller lowercase (or more formally ''minuscule'') in the written representation of certain languages. The writing ...
since 2018) is an American
big box department store
A department store is a retail establishment offering a wide range of consumer goods in different areas of the store, each area ("department") specializing in a product category. In modern major cities, the department store made a dramatic app ...
chain headquartered in
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...
. It is the seventh largest retailer in the United States, and a component of the
S&P 500 Index
The Standard and Poor's 500, or simply the S&P 500, is a stock market index tracking the stock performance of 500 large companies listed on stock exchanges in the United States. It is one of the most commonly followed equity indices. As of D ...
. Target was established as the discount division of
Dayton's
Dayton's was an American department store chain founded in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 1902 by George Draper Dayton. It operated several local high end department stores throughout Minnesota and the Upper Midwest for almost 100 years. Although it ...
department store of Minneapolis in 1962. It began expanding the store nationwide in the 1980s (as part of the Dayton-Hudson Corporation), and introduced new store formats under the Target brand in the 1990s. The company has found success as a cheap-chic player in the industry.
The parent company was renamed Target Corporation in 2000, and divested itself of its last department store chains in 2004. It suffered from a massive, highly publicized
security breach of customer credit card data and the failure of its short-lived
Target Canada
Target Canada Co. was the Canadian subsidiary of the Target Corporation, the eighth-largest retailer in the United States. Formerly headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario, the subsidiary was formed with the acquisition of Zellers store leases f ...
subsidiary in the early 2010s, but experienced revitalized success with its expansion in urban markets within the United States.
, Target operates 1,931 stores throughout the United States,
[ and is ranked number 37 on the 2020 ''Fortune'' 500 list of the largest U.S. corporations by total revenue. Their retail formats include the ]discount store
A discount store or discounter offers a retail format in which products are sold at prices that are in principle lower than an actual or supposed "full retail price". Discounters rely on bulk purchasing and efficient distribution to keep down cost ...
Target, the hypermarket
A hypermarket (sometimes called a hyperstore, supercentre or superstore) is a big-box store combining a supermarket and a department store. The result is an expansive retail facility carrying a wide range of products under one roof, including ...
SuperTarget, and "small-format" stores previously named CityTarget and TargetExpress before being consolidated under the Target branding.
History
Finances
Carbon footprint
Target Corporation reported Total CO2e emissions (Direct + Indirect) for the twelve months ending 31 December 2020 at 2,192 Kt (−241 /-9.9% y-o-y).[Alt URL]
There has been a consistent declining trend in reported emissions since 2016.
Store formats
Target
The first Target discount store
A discount store or discounter offers a retail format in which products are sold at prices that are in principle lower than an actual or supposed "full retail price". Discounters rely on bulk purchasing and efficient distribution to keep down cost ...
opened in Roseville, Minnesota
Roseville is a city in Ramsey County, Minnesota, United States. It is one of two Minneapolis-Saint Paul, Twin Cities suburbs that are adjacent to both Saint Paul and Minneapolis (the other is Lauderdale, Minnesota, Lauderdale). The land comprisin ...
, a suburb of Minneapolis–Saint Paul
Minneapolis–Saint Paul is a metropolitan area in the Upper Midwestern United States centered around the confluence of the Mississippi, Minnesota and St. Croix rivers in the U.S. state of Minnesota. It is commonly known as the Twin Cities ...
, on May 1, 1962. Present-day properties are roughly and sell general merchandise, including hardlines and softlines. While many Target stores follow a standard big-box architectural style, the company has focused on "customizing each new store to ensure a locally relevant experience ..that best fit the surrounding neighborhood’s needs" since August 2006. Initially, only SuperTarget locations operated Starbucks Coffee
Starbucks Corporation is an American multinational chain of coffeehouses and roastery reserves headquartered in Seattle, Washington. It is the world's largest coffeehouse chain.
As of November 2021, the company had 33,833 stores in 80 cou ...
counters, although they were integrated into general-merchandise stores through their expanded partnership beginning in 2003.
Target introduced the "PFresh" store prototype in 2006, which expanded its grocery selection in general-merchandise locations by upwards of 200%. Newly constructed stores that follow the PFresh format are roughly larger than properties without groceries, although retain the Target branding because their offerings are considerably more limited than SuperTarget. PFresh sells perishable and frozen foods, baked goods, meat, and dairy. The company remodeled 109 stores accordingly in 2006, and renovated another 350 stores the following year. The company's decision to close their garden centers opened floor space for PFresh expansion and larger seasonal departments beginning in 2010.
CVS Health
On June 15, 2015, CVS Health
CVS Health Corporation (previously CVS Corporation and CVS Caremark Corporation) is an American healthcare company that owns CVS Pharmacy, a retail pharmacy chain; CVS Caremark, a pharmacy benefits manager; and Aetna, a health insurance prov ...
announced an agreement with Target to acquire all of Target's pharmacies and clinic businesses for around $1.9 billion. The Target pharmacies were rebranded as CVS Health pharmacies, which totaled 1,672 pharmacies in February 2016. The Target clinics were also rebranded as MinuteClinic
MinuteClinic is a division of CVS Health (NYSE: CVS) that provides retail clinic services. MinuteClinic was initially started as QuickMedx by Dr. Douglas Smith and his patient Rick Krieger, along with Stephen Pontius in Minneapolis, Minnesota. M ...
. The acquisition of the Target pharmacies enabled CVS to expand its market into Seattle
Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
, Denver, Portland, and Salt Lake City.
SuperTarget
The first Target Greatland location opened in Apple Valley, Minnesota
Apple Valley is a city in northwestern Dakota County in the State of Minnesota, and a suburb of the Twin Cities. The population was 56,374 at the 2020 census, making it the 17th most populous city in Minnesota. In 2014, Money.com' named Apple ...
, in September 1990. They were about 50% larger than traditional Target stores, and pioneered company standards, including an increased number of checkout lanes and price scanners, larger aisles, expanded pharmacy and photography departments, and a food court. Target Greatland locations have since been converted to stores following the PFresh format beginning in 2009.
The first SuperTarget hypermarket
A hypermarket (sometimes called a hyperstore, supercentre or superstore) is a big-box store combining a supermarket and a department store. The result is an expansive retail facility carrying a wide range of products under one roof, including ...
opened in Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest cit ...
, in 1995, and expanded upon the Target Greatland concept with the inclusion of a full grocery department. The company expanded their grocery assortment in 2003 and adopted the modified tagline "Eat Well. Pay Less." (in reference to their tagline "Expect More. Pay Less.") in 2004. In the early 2000s, 43 locations (of nearly 100) featured E-Trade
E-Trade Financial Corporation (stylized as E*TRADE) is a financial services subsidiary of Morgan Stanley, which offers an electronic trading platform to trade financial assets. The company receives revenue from interest income on margin balan ...
trading stations, although they were all closed by June 2003 after E-Trade determined that "we were not able to make it into a profitable distribution channel."
When comparing itself with rival Walmart Supercenter
Walmart Inc. (; formerly Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.) is an American multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets (also called supercenters), discount department stores, and grocery stores from the United States, headquarter ...
hypermarkets, then-chief executive Gregg Steinhafel opined that Walmart
Walmart Inc. (; formerly Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.) is an American multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets (also called supercenters), discount department stores, and grocery stores from the United States, headquarter ...
operates like "a grocer that happens to also sell general merchandise," where in contrast, its less aggressive expansion of SuperTarget stores is indicative of their position that the grocery industry as a "high-impact, low-cost" side project. The company operated 239 SuperTarget locations as of September 2015; they each encompass an estimate of .
In article written in August 2015, Target was quoted as saying "Big or small, our stores have one thing in common: they're ''all'' Target." Since then, newer stores have opened under the Target name.
Small-format Target
While typical Target locations are about , the majority of "small-format" CityTarget stores are roughly . The first stores were opened in July 2012, in Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
, Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
, and Seattle
Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
; the location in Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
is the largest CityTarget and opened in July 2015. TargetExpress stores hover around ; the first opened in Dinkytown
Dinkytown is a commercial district within the Marcy-Holmes neighborhood in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Centered at 14th Avenue Southeast and 4th Street Southeast, the district contains several city blocks occupied by various small businesses, restau ...
near the University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, formally the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, (UMN Twin Cities, the U of M, or Minnesota) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Tw ...
in July 2014. Products in these flexible-format properties are typically sold in smaller packages geared towards customers using public transport
Public transport (also known as public transportation, public transit, mass transit, or simply transit) is a system of transport for passengers by group travel systems available for use by the general public unlike private transport, typical ...
ation. Locations built in college communities often carry an extended home department of apartment and dormitory furnishings. In August 2015, Target announced that it would rename its nine CityTarget and five TargetExpress stores as Target beginning that October, deciding that "Big or small, our stores have one thing in common: they're all Target." The first small-format stores under the unified naming scheme opened later that month in Chicago, Rosslyn, San Diego
San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the List of United States cities by population, eigh ...
, and San Francisco
San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...
. The company opened a store in the Tribeca
Tribeca (), originally written as TriBeCa, is a neighborhood in Lower Manhattan in New York City. Its name is a syllabic abbreviation of "Triangle Below Canal Street". The "triangle" (more accurately a quadrilateral) is bounded by Canal Stree ...
neighborhood of New York in October 2016. In that same month, three other similar-sized stores opened in Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
, Cupertino, California
Cupertino ( ) is a city in Santa Clara County, California, United States, directly west of San Jose on the western edge of the Santa Clara Valley with portions extending into the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains. The population was 57,82 ...
, and the area around Pennsylvania State University
The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a Public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related Land-grant university, land-grant research university with campuses and facilities throughout Pennsylvan ...
. Target opened a store in Austin's Dobie Twenty21, adjacent to the UT Austin campus.
Nearly all of its planned openings through 2019 are small formats, which are less than . The goal of these smaller-format stores is to win over the business of millennial customers. The nearly 30 new locations were to be situated in college towns or densely populated areas.
Brands and subsidiaries
As of 2018, Target has four subsidiaries: Target Brands, Inc., Target Capital Corporation, Target Enterprise, Inc., and Target General Merchandise, Inc.
Financial and Retail Services
Financial and Retail Services (FRS), formerly Target Financial Services, issues Target's credit cards, known as the Target REDcard (formerly the Target Guest Card), issued through Target National Bank (formerly Retailers National Bank) for consumers and through Target Bank for businesses. FRS also oversees GiftCard balances. Target launched its PIN
A pin is a device used for fastening objects or material together.
Pin or PIN may also refer to:
Computers and technology
* Personal identification number (PIN), to access a secured system
** PIN pad, a PIN entry device
* PIN, a former Dutch ...
-x debit card, the Target Check Card, which was later rebranded the Target Debit Card. The Target Debit Card withdraws funds from the customer's existing checking account, and allows for up to $40 "cash back". The debit card allows guests to save 5% off each purchase. In late 2017, Target replaced its REDcard slogan, "Save 5% Today, Tomorrow, & Everyday with Target REDcard", when it rolled out new benefits for REDcard holders by offering exclusive products on Target.com and preorders with "Everyday Savings. Exclusive Extras."
Target Sourcing Services
This global sourcing organization locates merchandise from around the world for Target and helps import the merchandise to the United States. Such merchandise includes garments, furniture, bedding, and towels. Target Sourcing Services (TSS) has 27 full-service offices, 48 quality-control offices, and seven concessionaires located throughout the world. TSS employs 1,200 people. Its engineers are responsible for evaluating the factories that do business with Target Corporation for quality, labor rights, and transshipment issues. TSS was acquired by Target Corporation in 1998, was founded in 1916 as the Associated Merchandising Corporation, and was previously owned by the clients it served. TSS ceased operations in its department-store group, the division of the former Associated Merchandising Corporation that acted as a buying office for Saks, Inc.
Saks, Inc. (originally Proffitt's, Inc.) was an American holding company founded in 1919. Before acquisition by the Canadian-founded Hudson's Bay Company in 2013, it held ownership of department store chains including New York City-based Saks Fi ...
, Bloomingdale's
Bloomingdale's Inc. is an American luxury department store chain; it was founded in New York City by Joseph B. Bloomingdale, Joseph B. and Lyman G. Bloomingdale in 1861. A third brother, Emanuel Watson Bloomingdale, was also involved in the bus ...
, Stage Stores Inc., T.J.Maxx, and Marshalls
Marshalls is an American chain of off-price department stores owned by TJX Companies. Marshalls has over 1,000 American stores, including larger stores named Marshalls Mega Store, covering 42 states and Puerto Rico, and 61 stores in Canada. M ...
.
Private-label brands
Target Brands is the company's brand-management division that oversees the company's private-label
A private label, also called a private brand or private-label brand, is a brand owned by a company, offered by that company alongside and competing with brands from other businesses. A private-label brand is almost always offered exclusively by th ...
products. In addition, Bullseye
Bullseye or Bull's Eye may refer to:
Symbols
* ◎ (Unicode U+25CE BULLSEYE), in the Geometric Shapes Unicode block
* (Unicode U+0298 LATIN LETTER BILABIAL CLICK), the phonetic symbol for bilabial click
Animals and plants
* Bull's Eye, '' Eury ...
Dog is Target's mascot.
* Good & Gather, a food and beverage brand, replaced Archer Farms and Simply Balanced.
* Market Pantry, value grocery products
* Sutton & Dodge, a premium meat line
* Boots & Barkley, a pet food and supply line
* Embark, an outdoor gear line of camping and travel equipment
* Room Essentials, a low-end home-goods line
* Brightroom, a line of storage solutions
* Threshold, a premium furniture line
* Wondershop, a christmas decoration brand
* Hyde and Eek, a halloween decoration brand
* Fieldcrest, bedding and bath line in partnership with brand owner Iconix Brand Group
Iconix Brand Group is an American brand management company that licenses brands to retailers and manufacturers primarily in the apparel, footwear, and apparel accessory industries. Its brands are available in such stores as Kohl's, Kmart, Se ...
* up & up, offers essential commodities, including household, healthcare, beauty, baby, and personal-care products.
* Xhilaration, a line of intimate and sleepwear, along with swimwear.
Other private labels include brands launched in July 2016, during back-to-school sales.
* Pillowfort, a children's line of bedding
* Cat and Jack, a children's line of apparel and accessories
* Cloud Island, a baby's line of bedding and clothing
* Project 62, a household-goods line placed alongside Room Essentials
* Goodfellow & Co., a clothing and personal-care line for men, with the name being an homage to their beginnings as Goodfellow Dry Goods
* A New Day, a clothing line for women
* JoyLab, a fitness-clothing line for women
* Hearth and Hand, a home and lifestyle brand, in collaboration with designer Joanna Gaines
Eight Target private-label brands that launched in 2018:
* Universal Thread, a denim lifestyle brand
* Opalhouse, eclectic home decor
* Heyday, a line of electronic accessories
* Original Use, male clothing brand targeting gen-Z and millennials
* Wild Fable, women's clothing brand targeting gen-Z
* Made By Design, a homelines brand, made up of home basics such as towels, cooking utensils, glassware, plates, pots, kitchen gadgets, and more
* Prologue, a line of sophisticated female clothing
* Smartly, essential a commodity brand, including household, healthcare, beauty, and personal-care products
In addition, Target recently released three new intimates, loungewear, and sleepwear brands for women on February 25, 2019:
* Auden, an intimates and lingerie exclusive brand
* Stars Above, an in-house brand for sleepwear
* Colsie, an intimates and loungewear brand
On January 9, 2020, Target announced its new activewear brand, ''All In Motion'', an athleisure
Athleisure is a hybrid style of athletic clothing typically worn as everyday wear. Athleisure outfits can include yoga pants, tights, sneakers, leggings and shorts that look like athletic wear, characterized as "fashionable, dressed-up sweats a ...
line with products for men, women, boys, and girls. The brand's logo plays homage to a previous Dayton's logo.
On March 9, 2021, Target announced a new brand called Favorite Day, a brand that sells bakery, snacks, candy, premium ice cream, cake decorating supplies, beverage mixers, mocktails items. It launched on April 5, 2021.
Former brands include:
* Cherokee
The Cherokee (; chr, ᎠᏂᏴᏫᏯᎢ, translit=Aniyvwiyaʔi or Anigiduwagi, or chr, ᏣᎳᎩ, links=no, translit=Tsalagi) are one of the indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, t ...
, children's and women's clothing: On September 10, 2015, Target stores announced they would cease carrying the brand when its partnership with Cherokee Inc.
Cherokee Inc., also known as Apex Global Brands, is an American based global apparel and footwear company, headquartered in Sherman Oaks, California. The company was established in 1973 and its brands are available in 110 countries in 12,000 ret ...
expired on January 31, 2017. It was replaced by Cat & Jack.
* Circo, toddler's and kids clothing: The brand was replaced by Cat & Jack upon debut.
* Merona, a clothing brand purchased by Target in 1991
* Mossimo Supply Co., a clothing line, in partnership with the brand owner Iconix Brand Group
* Gilligan & O'Malley product lines of intimates and sleepwear were discontinued after the release of the brands Auden, Stars Above, and Colsie.
Website
Target.com owns and oversees the company's e-commerce
E-commerce (electronic commerce) is the activity of electronically buying or selling of products on online services or over the Internet. E-commerce draws on technologies such as mobile commerce, electronic funds transfer, supply chain manageme ...
initiatives, such as the Target.com domain. Founded in early 2000 as target.direct, it was formed by separating the company's existing e-commerce operations from its retailing division and combining it with its Rivertown Trading direct-marketing unit into a stand-alone subsidiary. In 2002, target.direct and Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. ( ) is an American multinational technology company focusing on e-commerce, cloud computing, online advertising, digital streaming, and artificial intelligence. It has been referred to as "one of the most influential economi ...
's subsidiary Amazon Enterprise Solutions created a partnership in which Amazon.com would provide order fulfillment and guest services for Target.com in exchange for fixed and variable fees. After the company sold Marshall Field's
Marshall Field & Company (commonly known as Marshall Field's) was an upscale department store in Chicago, Illinois. Founded in the 19th century, it grew to become a large chain before Macy's, Inc acquired it in 2005. Its eponymous founder, Mar ...
and Mervyn's in 2004, target.direct became Target.com. The domain ''target.com'' attracted at least 288 million visitors annually by 2008, according to a Compete.com
Compete.com was a web traffic analysis service. The company was founded in 2000 and ceased operations in December 2016.
Services
Compete.com provided two categories of information:
*Site Analytics
: a free service, where the user can enter any ...
survey. In August 2009, Target announced that they would build and manage a new Target.com platform, independent of Amazon.com. This new platform was to launch in 2011, in advance of the holiday season. Prior to the announcement, Target and Amazon had extended their partnership until 2011. In January 2010, Target announced their vendor partners for the re-platforming project. These partners include Sapient, IBM, Oracle
An oracle is a person or agency considered to provide wise and insightful counsel or prophetic predictions, most notably including precognition of the future, inspired by deities. As such, it is a form of divination.
Description
The word '' ...
, Endeca
Endeca was a software company headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, that sold eCommerce search, customer experience management, enterprise search and business intelligence applications. Endeca was founded in 1999 as Optigrab and was a privat ...
, Autonomy
In developmental psychology and moral, political, and bioethical philosophy, autonomy, from , ''autonomos'', from αὐτο- ''auto-'' "self" and νόμος ''nomos'', "law", hence when combined understood to mean "one who gives oneself one's ...
, Sterling Commerce, and Huge
Huge may refer to:
* Huge cardinal, a number in mathematics
* ''Huge'' (Caroline's Spine album), 1996
* ''Huge'' (Hugh Hopper and Kramer album), 1997
* ''Huge'' (TV series), a television series on ABC Family
* Huge (digital agency)
* ''Huge'' ...
, among others. The re-platformed Target.com officially launched on August 23, 2011, effectively ending the partnership with Amazon.com. Over the last few years, Target has been working to grow their fulfillment strategy via the orders placed through their website.
Former subsidiaries
* Target Portrait Studio was a chain of portrait studios that were located in select Target stores. The chain, which was operated by Lifetouch
Lifetouch Inc. is an American-based photography company headquartered in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, Eden Prairie, Minnesota, with its Canadian operations based in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
It was founded as National School Studios (NSS) in 1936 by Eldon ...
, opened in 1996 and ceased operations on January 28, 2017.
* Target Canada
Target Canada Co. was the Canadian subsidiary of the Target Corporation, the eighth-largest retailer in the United States. Formerly headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario, the subsidiary was formed with the acquisition of Zellers store leases f ...
was the chain of Target stores in Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
. It was formed in 2013 when Target acquired Zellers
Zellers was a Canadian discount department retail chain and is currently a brand name owned by the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC). Founded in 1931 in London, Ontario, in later decades it was based in Brampton, Ontario. Zellers was acquired by HBC ...
and converted them into Target stores. Target Canada was in operation for two years until the closure of all stores in 2015. The retail chain racked up losses of $2.1 billion in its brief lifespan, and the Canadian news media termed Target's foray into Canada as a "spectacular failure", "an unmitigated disaster", and "a gold standard case study in what retailers should not do when they enter a new market".
Supply chain
, Target Corporation operates 41 distribution centers across the United States. With the exception of vendor-supplied items, such as greeting cards and soda, these distribution centers ship items directly to Target stores. Also, unlike Walmart, Target's grocery selection does not come from their own distribution centers, but from the companies with whom Target has partnered.
The retail chain's first distribution center opened in Fridley, Minnesota
Fridley is a city in Anoka County, Minnesota, United States. Its population was 29,590 at the 2020 census. Fridley was incorporated in 1949 as a village, and became a city in 1957. It is part of the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area as ...
, in 1969. It included a computerized distribution system and was known as the Northern Distribution Center. During this time, the chain consisted of 17 stores after having expanded into Oklahoma
Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...
and Texas.[From Roseville to Greatland, Target still hits the mark]
''Discount Store News'', September 17, 1990.
On August 9, 2004, Target announced to their suppliers that they were going to perform a trial on the effects of radio-frequency identification on the efficiency of supply chain management
In commerce, supply chain management (SCM) is the management of the flow of goods and services including all processes that transform raw materials into final products between businesses and locations. This can include the movement and stor ...
in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex
The Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, officially designated Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, is a conurbated metropolitan statistical area in the U.S. state of Texas encompassing 11 counties and anchore ...
. This trial involved one Target distribution center and 10 nearby Target stores. Here, RFID tags were placed on the bar codes of pallets and cartons to track the goods from the suppliers to the distribution center, and from the distribution center to the stores. As of 2009, RFID had been phased out of the Dallas–Fort Worth stores. In 2016, Target planned to roll out the RFID technology at all 1,795 of its store locations across the United States.
Target opened new distribution centers in 2006 ( Rialto, California, DeKalb, Illinois) to support the growth of its stores. On January 27, 2009, Target announced the closing of its distribution center in Maumelle, Arkansas
Maumelle is a city in Pulaski County, Arkansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city's population was 19,251. The city is located northwest of Little Rock, bordering the opposite shore of the Arkansas River and is part of the Little R ...
, the second-oldest in the company. The reason cited was the need to ensure that Target remains competitive in the long term. In June 2009, Target opened a new distribution center to supply more than 60 stores in three states.
SuperTarget and PFresh stores require fresh produce and refrigerated and frozen items. Food-distribution centers owned by SuperValu have been used by Target for many years. In October 2003, SuperValu's facility in Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix ( ; nv, Hoozdo; es, Fénix or , yuf-x-wal, Banyà:nyuwá) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Arizona#List of cities and towns, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona, with 1 ...
, was converted to serve Target exclusively. The same change was implemented at the SuperValu center in Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Texas and the 13th-largest city in the United States. It is the county seat of Tarrant County, covering nearly into four other counties: Denton, Johnson, Parker, and Wise. According ...
. A new distribution center was constructed by Target in Lake City, Florida, to serve the Southeast, but it was operated by SuperValu until 2011, when it transitioned to Target.[ A fourth center in ]Cedar Falls, Iowa
Cedar Falls is a city in Black Hawk County, Iowa, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 40,713. It is home to the University of Northern Iowa, a public university.
History
Cedar Falls was first settled in March 1845 b ...
, opened in 2009 and is unique in that it is located adjacent to a standard Target Distribution Center, each using the same dispatch office.[ Other warehouses owned by SuperValu are still used in other regions, but Target plans to replace those over the next few years.][ In Colorado, stores are serviced through FreshPack Produce Inc. of ]Denver
Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...
.[ In the mid-Atlantic region/]Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
market, C&S Wholesale Grocers
C&S Wholesale Grocers is a national wholesale grocery supply company in the United States, based in Keene, New Hampshire. In 2021 it was the eighth-largest privately held company in the United States, as listed by Forbes. C&S owns the Piggly W ...
services the fresh produce, meat, dairy, bakery, and frozen-food needs to PFresh stores. Target partnered with Swisslog Holding
Swisslog Holding AG is a globally active Swiss company specializing in integrated automation solutions for warehouses, distribution centers and hospitals. It is headquartered in Buchs/Aarau, Switzerland. Swisslog has 2,500 employees in approxima ...
to use a semiautomated monorail picking system called the CaddyPick system for use in the food-distribution centers.
The company operates four facilities to receive shipments from overseas manufacturers and suppliers. They are located near ports at Rialto, California; Savannah, Georgia
Savannah ( ) is the oldest city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia and is the county seat of Chatham County, Georgia, Chatham County. Established in 1733 on the Savannah River, the city of Savannah became the Kingdom of Great Br ...
; Lacey, Washington
Lacey is a city in Thurston County, Washington, United States. It is a suburb of Olympia with a population of 53,526 at the 2020 census. Lacey is located along Interstate 5 between Olympia and the Nisqually River, which marks the border with ...
; and Suffolk, Virginia. Merchandise received is sent directly to Regional Distribution Centers. Internet sales orders from the Target Direct division, which operates from the Target.com website, are processed by the facility in Woodbury, Minnesota
Woodbury is a city in Washington County, Minnesota, United States, eight miles (13 km) east of Saint Paul along Interstate 94. It is part of the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area. The population was 75,102 at the 2020 census, making it ...
, with some support from Savannah, Georgia
Savannah ( ) is the oldest city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia and is the county seat of Chatham County, Georgia, Chatham County. Established in 1733 on the Savannah River, the city of Savannah became the Kingdom of Great Br ...
, and other vendors. New centers opened in Ontario, California
Ontario is a city in southwestern San Bernardino County in the U.S. state of California, east of downtown Los Angeles and west of downtown San Bernardino, the county seat. Located in the western part of the Inland Empire metropolitan area, ...
, and Tucson, Arizona
, "(at the) base of the black ill
, nicknames = "The Old Pueblo", "Optics Valley", "America's biggest small town"
, image_map =
, mapsize = 260px
, map_caption = Interactive map ...
, in 2009. In 2021, during the Covid-19, Target supply chain and inventory teams have been working proactively to move products fast, and they hired more than 30,000 year-round supply chain team members to bolster their team.
Distribution centers
File:TargetWarehouseFKL.jpg, Reach forklifts at a Target distribution center.
File:TargetDCSWSL.jpg, Target distribution center with a Swisslog CaddyPick system.
File:TargetDCLC19.jpg, T-3892 Target food distribution center in Lake City, Florida.
File:Target Distribution Center, Tift County.jpg, T-0556 Target regional distribution center in Tifton, Georgia
Tifton is a city in Tift County, Georgia, United States. The population was 17,045 at the 2020 census. The city is the county seat of Tift County.
The area's public schools are administered by the Tift County School District. Abraham Baldwin Agr ...
.
Corporate affairs
Headquarters
Target Corporation has its headquarters on Nicollet Mall
Nicollet Mall is a twelve-block portion of Nicollet Avenue running through downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. It is the shopping and dining district of the city, and also a pedestrian mall and transit mall. Along with Hennepin A ...
in Minneapolis near the site of the original Goodfellows store. The complex includes Target Plaza North and Target Plaza South
Target Plaza South is a 33-story skyscraper in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota completed in 2001. The building serves as the corporate headquarters for Target Corporation. It is located a few blocks away from the original building which the Targ ...
. Ryan Companies developed the complex, and Ellerbe Becket served as the architect. Target had the roughly $260 million complex developed to provide one location of office space for 6,000 employees. The 14-story Target Plaza North has of office and retail space, while the 32-story Target Plaza South has of space.
Brian Cornell is the CEO of Target Corporation. In January 2016, Cornell began making home visits in an effort to understand better the needs and desires of his customers. In January 2016, Target fired Tina Tyler from her job as chief stores officer. She was replaced with long-time employee Janna Potts.
On August 26, 2020, the headquarters building was broken into and damaged during the Minneapolis false rumours riot. Three Minnesota residents were later convicted of federal arson
Arson is the crime of willfully and deliberately setting fire to or charring property. Although the act of arson typically involves buildings, the term can also refer to the intentional burning of other things, such as motor vehicles, wat ...
charges for setting fires inside the building during the riot.
Diversity
The company states that "individuality may include a wide spectrum of attributes such as personal style, age, race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, language, physical ability, religion, family, citizenship status, socio-economic circumstances, education, and life experiences."
In February 2006, the National Federation of the Blind
The National Federation of the Blind (NFB) is an organization of blind people in the United States. It is the oldest and largest organization led by blind people in the United States. Its national headquarters are in Baltimore, Maryland.
Overvie ...
(NFB) filed a class action discrimination lawsuit in Northern California's Alameda County Superior Court, claiming that Target's commercial website contains "thousands of access barriers that make it difficult, if not impossible, for blind customers to use." Target Corporation settled the lawsuit in October 2008, paying $6 million and agreeing to work with the NFB over the next three years improving the usability of the Target.com site.
August 24, 2009, the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is a federal agency that was established via the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to administer and enforce civil rights laws against workplace discrimination. The EEOC investigates discrimination ...
(EEOC) filed a discrimination lawsuit against Target Corporation for unlawfully denying reasonable accommodation to an employee with multiple disability-based impairments and substantially reducing his work hours due to the medical conditions. According to the claims in the EEOC press release, Target's actions violated Title I of the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) and Title I of the Civil Rights Act of 1991.
In February 2012, the company extended the team member discount to same-sex partners of employees. It had received a 100 on the Human Rights Campaign
The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) is an American LGBTQ advocacy group. It is the largest LGBTQ political lobbying organization within the United States. Based in Washington, D.C., the organization focuses on protecting and expanding rights for LGB ...
Corporate Equality Index Score, prior to donating funds to Minnesota Forward Minnesota Forward (or MN Forward) is a political action group funded by local corporations. They were "established to ensure that private-sector job creation and economic growth are at the top of the agenda during the 2010 campaign" Their mission ...
.
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is a civil rights organization in the United States, formed in 1909 as an interracial endeavor to advance justice for African Americans by a group including W. E. ...
has repeatedly given Target failing grades on its annual Economic Reciprocity Initiative report card, a measure of the company's "commitment to the African-American citizenry". In 2003 and 2005, the NAACP has rated Target an "F" on this report; in 2004, Target was rated a "D−". In 2006, when Target was asked why it didn't participate in the survey again, a representative explained, "Target views diversity as being inclusive of all people from all different backgrounds, not just one group."
In September 2020, Target published a "Workforce Diversity Report" indicating that 50% of Target’s 350K employees are people of color
The term "person of color" ( : people of color or persons of color; abbreviated POC) is primarily used to describe any person who is not considered "white". In its current meaning, the term originated in, and is primarily associated with, the U ...
, and over half are women. The report also stated that within the corporate leadership team, people of color account for 24% of the team and 42% are women. On a retail level, 33% of stores are managed by people of color, with more than half of management positions occupied by women.
Philanthropy
Target is consistently ranked as one of the most philanthropic
Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives, for the public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private good, focusing on material ...
companies in the US. It ranked No. 22 in ''Fortune'' magazine's "World's Most Admired Companies" for 2010, largely in part to the donation efforts of the company as a whole. According to a November 2005 ''Forbes
''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also re ...
'' article, it ranked as the highest cash-giving company in America in percentage of income given (2.1%). Target donates around 5 percent of its pre-tax operating profit; it gives over $3 million a week (up from $2 million in years prior) to the communities in which it operates. It also gives a percentage of charges from its Target Visa to schools designated by the cardholders. To date, Target has given over $150 million to schools across the United States through this program.
Further evidence of Target's philanthropy can be found in the Target House complex in Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the seat of Shelby County in the southwest part of the state; it is situated along the Mississippi River. With a population of 633,104 at the 2020 U.S. census, Memphis is the second-mos ...
, a long-term housing solution for families of patients at the city's St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. The corporation led the way with more than $27 million in donations, which made available 96 fully furnished apartments for families needing to stay at St. Jude over 90 days.
Target has a no-solicitation rule at its properties, as it seeks to provide a "distraction-free shopping experience for its guests." Exemptions to this policy were previously made for the Salvation Army
Salvation (from Latin: ''salvatio'', from ''salva'', 'safe, saved') is the state of being saved or protected from harm or a dire situation. In religion and theology, ''salvation'' generally refers to the deliverance of the soul from sin and its c ...
red kettles and bell-ringers outside Target stores during the holidays through Christmas. In 2004, however, Target asked the organization to explore alternate methods to partner with Target. Target donates to local Salvation Army chapters through its grant program and annually to the United Way of America
United Way is an international network of over 1,800 local nonprofit fundraising affiliates. United Way was the largest nonprofit organization in the United States by donations from the public, prior to 2016.
United Way organizations raise funds ...
(the Salvation Army is a member of the United Way coalition).
In 2005, Target and the Salvation Army created a joint effort called "The Target/Salvation Army Wish List", where online shoppers could donate goods to the organization for hurricane victims by buying them directly from Target.com between November 25, 2005, and January 25, 2006. In 2006, they created another joint effort called "The Target/Salvation Army Angel Giving Tree", which is an online version of the Salvation Army's Angel Tree program; in addition to donating proceeds made from the sales of limited edition Harvey Lewis angel ornaments within Target's stores. During the Thanksgiving holiday of 2006, Target and the Salvation Army partnered with magician David Blaine
David Blaine (born April 4, 1973) is an American illusionist, endurance artist, and extreme performer. He is best known for his high-profile feats of endurance and has set and broken several world records.
Early life
Blaine was born and r ...
to send several families on a shopping spree the morning of Black Friday. The challenge held that if Blaine could successfully work his way out of a spinning gyroscope by the morning of Black Friday, then several families would receive $500 shopping certificates. The challenge was completed successfully by Blaine.
During disasters, Target has been a major benefactor for relief efforts. Target provided monetary and product donations during the September 11 attacks
The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercia ...
; it also donated money for relief efforts for the 2004 tsunami in South Asia and donated $1.5 million (US) to the American Red Cross
The American Red Cross (ARC), also known as the American National Red Cross, is a non-profit humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief, and disaster preparedness education in the United States. It is the desi ...
in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina was a destructive Category 5 Atlantic hurricane that caused over 1,800 fatalities and $125 billion in damage in late August 2005, especially in the city of New Orleans and the surrounding areas. It was at the time the cost ...
in 2005. It also allowed its store properties in the affected area to be used as command centers for relief organizations and donated supplies such as water and bug spray.
Target will often donate its unused, returned or seasonal merchandise (particularly clothing) to Goodwill Industries
Goodwill Industries International Inc., often shortened in speech and writing to Goodwill (stylized as goodwill), is an American nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that provides job training, employment placement services, and other community-bas ...
.
Environmental record
In 2007, Target Corporation agreed to reduce its sales on all materials containing polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Testers found toxic lead and phthalate
Phthalates (, ), or phthalate esters, are esters of phthalic acid. They are mainly used as plasticizers, i.e., substances added to plastics to increase their flexibility, transparency, durability, and longevity. They are used primarily to soften ...
s and large amounts of PVC in toys, lunch boxes, baby bibs, jewelry, garden hoses, mini blinds, Christmas trees, and electronics. Several studies have shown that chemicals in vinyl chloride can cause serious health problems for children and adults. The University of Illinois Medical Center
The University of Illinois Hospital & Health Sciences System is a member of the Illinois Medical District, one of the largest urban healthcare, educational, research, and technology districts in the USA. The University of Illinois Hospital & Hea ...
in Chicago states that people who use products containing PVC can become exposed with harmful toxic phthalates and lead, which eventually can become a big contributor with dioxins. Lois Gibbs, executive director of the Center for Health, Environment, and Justice, stated, "Target is doing the right thing by moving away from PVC and switching to safer alternatives." Other companies reducing the PVC on their shelves include Walmart, Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational technology corporation producing computer software, consumer electronics, personal computers, and related services headquartered at the Microsoft Redmond campus located in Redmond, Washing ...
, Johnson & Johnson
Johnson & Johnson (J&J) is an American multinational corporation founded in 1886 that develops medical devices, pharmaceuticals, and consumer packaged goods. Its common stock is a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the company i ...
, Nike
Nike often refers to:
* Nike (mythology), a Greek goddess who personifies victory
* Nike, Inc., a major American producer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment
Nike may also refer to:
People
* Nike (name), a surname and feminine give ...
, and Apple. Target is beginning to reduce energy use with energy-efficient storefronts and reducing waste with recycling programs. All Target stores in the United States use plastic carts with metal frames. In mid-2006, Target took it a step further when it began introducing a newer cart design made entirely of plastic. It also uses the same design in its hand-use baskets.
Target released a 13-page report in 2007 that outlined their current and future plans for becoming more earth-friendly according to LEED. Such efforts include installing sand filtration systems for the stores' wastewater. Recycling programs will be aimed at garment hangers, corrugated cardboard, electronics, shopping carts, shrink wrap, construction wastes, carpeting, and ceiling tiles and roofing materials. All stores in Oklahoma
Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...
will be partnered with Oklahoma Gas & Electric
Oklahoma Gas & Electric Company (branded as OG+E or "O-G-and-E") is a regulated electric utility company that serves over 843,000 customers in Oklahoma and Arkansas, including 1.5 million people in the Oklahoma City Metropolitan Area. It is the ...
to exclusively use wind power
Wind power or wind energy is mostly the use of wind turbines to electricity generation, generate electricity. Wind power is a popular, sustainable energy, sustainable, renewable energy source that has a much smaller Environmental impact of wi ...
for all Target stores in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
Greenhouse gas emissions from human activities strengthen the greenhouse effect, contributing to climate change. Most is carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels: coal, oil, and natural gas. The largest emitters include coal in China and lar ...
. Stores nationwide use only LED
A light-emitting diode (LED) is a semiconductor Electronics, device that Light#Light sources, emits light when Electric current, current flows through it. Electrons in the semiconductor recombine with electron holes, releasing energy i ...
and fluorescent lights
A fluorescent lamp, or fluorescent tube, is a low-pressure mercury-vapor gas-discharge lamp that uses fluorescence to produce visible light. An electric current in the gas excites mercury vapor, which produces short-wave ultraviolet lig ...
and low-flow restrooms that reduce wastewater by 30%. Some Target stores are installing roof gardens or green roof
A green roof or living roof is a roof of a building that is partially or completely covered with vegetation and a growing medium, planted over a waterproofing membrane. It may also include additional layers such as a root barrier and drainage ...
s, which absorb stormwater and cut down on surface runoff
Surface runoff (also known as overland flow) is the flow of water occurring on the ground surface when excess rainwater, stormwater, meltwater, or other sources, can no longer sufficiently rapidly infiltrate in the soil. This can occur when th ...
, mitigate temperature fluctuations and provide habitats for birds. There are currently four green-roof Target stores in Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
.
Target carries over 700 organic and alternative products from brands such as Archer Farms, Burt's Bees
Burt's Bees is an American multinational, personal care product company. The company is a subsidiary of Clorox that describes itself as an " Earth-friendly, Natural Personal Care Company"
making products for personal care, health, beauty and ...
, and Method Products
Ecover is a Belgian company that manufactures ecologically sound cleaning products (made from plant-based and mineral ingredients), owned by S. C. Johnson & Son since 2017.
History
The company was founded in 1979 by Frans Bogaerts to create ...
. They also sell clothes made from organic cotton, non-toxic cleaners, low-energy lighting and electronics, non-toxic and non-animal tested cosmetics, and furniture made from recycled materials. , Target has been offering reusable shopping bag
A reusable shopping bag, sometimes called a bag-for-life in the UK, is a type of shopping bag which can be reused many times, in contrast to single-use paper or plastic shopping bags. It is often a tote bag made from fabric such as canvas, natu ...
s as an alternative to disposable plastic bags. Target gift cards are made from corn-based resins. All of the stores' packaging is done with a modified paperboard/clamshell option and has goals for phasing out plastic wrap
Plastic wrap, cling film, Saran wrap, cling wrap, Glad wrap or food wrap is a thin plastic film typically used for sealing food items in containers to keep them fresh over a longer period of time. Plastic wrap, typically sold on rolls in boxe ...
completely.
In collaboration with MBH Architects
MBH Architects is an architecture and interior design firm founded in October 1989 by architects John McNulty and Dennis Heath. The firm is headquartered in a LEED Gold certified office in Alameda, California in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Exam ...
, Target's first "green" building was a 100,000+ square foot Target store built-in 1995 in Fullerton, California. It was a part of the EPA Energy Star Showcase for its use of skylight
A skylight (sometimes called a rooflight) is a light-permitting structure or window, usually made of transparent or translucent glass, that forms all or part of the roof space of a building for daylighting and ventilation purposes.
History
Open ...
s that cut the original energy consumption by 24% with a 5-year payback. Target and MBH Architects were awarded the "Green Lights Partner/Ally of the Year Award".
Target is the only national retailer employing a Garment Hanger reuse program, which keeps millions of pounds of metal and plastic out of landfill
A landfill site, also known as a tip, dump, rubbish dump, garbage dump, or dumping ground, is a site for the disposal of waste materials. Landfill is the oldest and most common form of waste disposal, although the systematic burial of the waste ...
s. In 2007, this program prevented 434 million hangers from entering landfills.
On June 15, 2009, the California Attorney General and 20 California District Attorneys filed a lawsuit in Alameda County
Alameda County ( ) is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,682,353, making it the 7th-most populous county in the state and 21st most populous nationally. The county seat is Oakland. Alam ...
alleging that Target stores across the state have been illegally dumping hazardous wastes in landfills.
On October 1, 2009, Target Corporation agreed to pay a $600,000 civil penalty for importing and selling a variety of toys with lead paint
Lead paint or lead-based paint is paint containing lead. As pigment, lead(II) chromate (, "chrome yellow"), lead(II,IV) oxide, (, "red lead"), and lead(II) carbonate (, "white lead") are the most common forms.. Lead is added to paint to accele ...
levels that were higher than is legally allowed. The Consumer Products Safety Commission
The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (USCPSC, CPSC, or commission) is an independent agency of the United States government. The CPSC seeks to promote the safety of consumer products by addressing “unreasonable risks” of inj ...
alleged that "Target knowingly imported and sold the illegal Chinese-made toys between May 2006 and August 2007." A similar problem occurred a few months later in February 2010, when Target pulled Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day, also called Saint Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is celebrated annually on February 14. It originated as a Christian feast day honoring one or two early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine and, throu ...
"message bears" from its shelves at the request of the California attorney general's office. The bears, which were manufactured in China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
, contained more lead than is permissible under federal law for children under 12.
A class action
A class action, also known as a class-action lawsuit, class suit, or representative action, is a type of lawsuit where one of the parties is a group of people who are represented collectively by a member or members of that group. The class actio ...
suit was filed in 2014 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
, on behalf of consumers in Ohio that purchased Target-brand wet wipes
A wet wipe, also known as a wet towel or a moist towelette, disposable wipe, disinfecting wipe, or a baby wipe (in specific circumstances) is a small to medium-sized moistened piece of plastic or cloth that either comes folded and individually ...
. The lawsuit filed against Target Corporation alleges the retailer misled consumers by marking the packaging on its up & up® brand wipes as flushable and safe for sewer and septic systems. The lawsuit also alleges that so-called flushable wipes are a public health hazard because they are alleged to clog pumps at municipal waste-treatment facilities.
On Dec. 5, 2018, Alameda County District Attorney O’Malley announced fining Target $7.4 million for putting illegal
Illegal, or unlawful, typically describes something that is explicitly prohibited by law, or is otherwise forbidden by a state or other governing body.
Illegal may also refer to:
Law
* Violation of law
* Crime, the practice of breaking the ...
e-waste, medical supplies and private information into the garbage.
Customer privacy
In December 2013, a data breach of Target's systems affected up to 110 million customers.[Target says data breach up to 110 mn customers]
." AFP. Retrieved on December 27, 2013. Compromised customer information included names, phone numbers, email and mailing addresses.
" Yahoo! Finance. Retrieved on May 22, 2015. In March 2015, Target reached a class-action settlement with affected consumers for $10 million (plus class-action attorney fees). In May 2016, Target settled with affected banks and credit unions for $39 million (plus class-action attorney fees), of which $19 million would be disbursed by a MasterCard program.
International operations
Target only operates in the United States as of 2022, however in the past, Target attempted to bring their stores to Canada. Therefore, other companies and trademarks that are under the name of "Target" outside of the United States are not owned by the Target Corporation.
There is a company in Australia with the same logo, and the same name, but these stores are not related. It could be possible that the copying of the branding was legal, or that the companies both ended up with the same name and logo by coincidence, as the logo of the Target Australia brand and the Target Corporation are obvious choices for the name "Target". Both Target Australia and the Target Corporation are the re-branded names and designs of older, also unrelated, stores.
Labor relations and team member offerings
In 2015, Target followed Walmart
Walmart Inc. (; formerly Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.) is an American multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets (also called supercenters), discount department stores, and grocery stores from the United States, headquarter ...
in raising its minimum wage to $9 per hour. Two years later, Target announced that the minimum hourly wage would be increased to $11 by October 2017 and pledged to raise it to $15 (referred to as "living wage" by labor advocates) by 2020. By April 2019, the company announced that it was on track to meet this goal, increasing its minimum wage to $13 per hour. In June 2020, Target announced ahead of schedule that the minimum hourly wage would rise to $15 permanently, after previously announcing it to be temporary through July 4, 2020. As a thank you to store and distribution center team members who worked during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
The COVID-19 pandemic in the United States is a part of the COVID-19 pandemic, worldwide pandemic of COVID-19, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by SARS-CoV-2, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). In the Uni ...
, Target also announced a one-time $200 bonus to be paid towards the end of July 2020. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Target began providing additional team member resources to help team members meet essential needs, obtain virtual healthcare, and take a paid leave of absence (based on certain medical or physical criteria that may cause exposure to coronavirus). In February 2021, Target began offering all of its hourly employees up to four hours of pay when they get both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine
A COVID19 vaccine is a vaccine intended to provide acquired immunity against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‑CoV‑2), the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 ( COVID19).
Prior to the COVID19 pandemic, an e ...
as well as covering the cost of a Lyft ride, up to $15 each way, to the vaccination appointment.
Corporate identity
Logo
File:Target logo (1968).png, Target logo, 1962–1968
File:Target Corporation logo (vector).svg, Target logo, 1968–present
File:Target old logo.svg, Target logo, used as primary logo from 1968–2004 and secondary logo from 2004–2018
File:Target logo.svg, Target logo, 2004–2018
File:Target (2018).svg, Target logo, 2018–present
File:TargetGreatlandLogo.jpg, Target Greatland logo, 1990–2006
File:SuperTargetLogo95.png, Original SuperTarget logo, 1995–2006
File:SuperTarget2006PNG.PNG, Second SuperTarget logo, 2006–2018
File:CityTargetLogo.png, CityTarget logo, 2012–2015
File:TargetExpressLogo.png, TargetExpress logo, 2014–2015
File:Super Target logo.png, Super Target logo, 2004–2018
Differentiation from competitors
Since its founding, it has intended to differentiate its stores from its competitors by offering what it believes is more upscale, trend-forward merchandise at lower costs, rather than the traditional concept of focusing on low-priced goods. Douglas J. Dayton, one of the Dayton brothers, explained John Geisse's concept:
As a result, Target stores tend to attract younger customers than Walmart, among other competitors. The median
In statistics and probability theory, the median is the value separating the higher half from the lower half of a data sample, a population, or a probability distribution. For a data set, it may be thought of as "the middle" value. The basic fe ...
Target shopper is 40, the youngest of all major discount retailers that Target competes directly against. The median household income of Target's customer base is roughly $64,000. Roughly 76% of Target customers are female, and more than 43% have children at home. About 80% have attended college and 57% have completed college.
In October 2008, Target announced plans to fight the perception that their products are more expensive than those of other discount retailers. It added perishables to their inventory, cut back on discretionary items, and spent three-quarters of their marketing budget on advertising that emphasizes value and includes actual prices of items featured in ads. Target also planned to slow its expansion from about 100 stores a year down to 70 stores a year.
Target stores are designed to be more attractive than large big-box store
A big-box store (also hyperstore, supercenter, superstore, or megastore) is a physically large retail establishment, usually part of a chain of stores. The term sometimes also refers, by extension, to the company that operates the store. The t ...
s by having wider aisles, drop ceilings, a more attractive presentation of merchandise, and generally cleaner fixtures. Special attention is given to the design of the store environment: graphics reinforce its advertising imagery, while shelves are dressed with contemporary signage, backdrops, and liners, often printed on inexpensive material such as paper, corrugated and foam boards. Some stores, particularly those in the vicinity of major airports, have a bullseye
Bullseye or Bull's Eye may refer to:
Symbols
* ◎ (Unicode U+25CE BULLSEYE), in the Geometric Shapes Unicode block
* (Unicode U+0298 LATIN LETTER BILABIAL CLICK), the phonetic symbol for bilabial click
Animals and plants
* Bull's Eye, '' Eury ...
painted on the roof that can be seen from above: the stores in East Point, Georgia
East Point is a suburban city located southwest of Atlanta in Fulton County, Georgia, Fulton County, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 38,358. The city name ...
near Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport; Rosemont, Illinois
Rosemont is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. Located immediately northwest of Chicago, as of the 2010 census it had a population of 4,202. The village was incorporated in 1956, though it had been settled long before that. Whi ...
, near O'Hare International Airport
Chicago O'Hare International Airport , sometimes referred to as, Chicago O'Hare, or simply O'Hare, is the main international airport serving Chicago, Illinois, located on the city's Northwest Side, approximately northwest of the Chicago Loop, ...
; Potomac Yard, Virginia, near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport , sometimes referred to colloquially as National Airport, Washington National, Reagan National Airport, DCA, Reagan, or simply National, is an international airport in Arlington County, Virginia, across ...
; College Point, New York
College Point is a working-middle-class neighborhood in the New York City borough of Queens. It is bounded to the south by Whitestone Expressway and Flushing; to the east by 138th Street and Malba/ Whitestone; to the north by the East River; an ...
(Queens), east of LaGuardia Airport
LaGuardia Airport is a civil airport in East Elmhurst, Queens, New York City. Covering , the facility was established in 1929 and began operating as a public airport in 1939. It is named after former New York City mayor Fiorello La Guardia. ...
; and Richfield, Minnesota
Richfield is a suburban city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States near the confluence of the Mississippi River and the Minnesota River at Fort Snelling. An inner ring suburb of Minneapolis, it is bordered by Minneapolis to the north, Min ...
, adjacent to Minneapolis–St. Paul International Airport are among such locations.
Target stores do not sell firearm
A firearm is any type of gun designed to be readily carried and used by an individual. The term is legally defined further in different countries (see Legal definitions).
The first firearms originated in 10th-century China, when bamboo tubes ...
s. In the early 1990s, they ceased sales of toy gun
Toy guns are toys which imitate real guns, but are designed for recreational sport or casual play by children. From hand-carved wooden replicas to factory-produced pop guns From Gilroy Gardens and cap guns, toy guns come in all sizes, price ...
s that looked realistic and limited its toy gun selection to ones that were brightly colored and oddly shaped. In 2014, Target also "respectfully" asked their guests to leave any firearms at home when visiting the store. They do not sell tobacco products and have not sold cigarettes since 1996.[Corporate Responsibility Report (PDF)](_blank)
, Target Corporation, January 31, 2006.
Most Target stores do not play music, but may be changing that from 2017 with a rebranding process, adding music to the rebranded stores.
Targét
Some people jokingly give Target the pseudo-French pronunciation , as though it were an upscale boutique. Though this practice is often attributed to Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Gail Winfrey (; born Orpah Gail Winfrey; January 29, 1954), or simply Oprah, is an American talk show host, television producer, actress, author, and philanthropist. She is best known for her talk show, ''The Oprah Winfrey Show'', br ...
's usage on her television show, it is first attested in 1962, the year the first Target store opened. Target once sold a line of shoes called "Miss Targé;" this was reinforced by a 1980s television advertisement starring Didi Conn
Edith "Didi" Conn (née Bernstein; born July 13, 1951) is an American actress. She is best known for her work as Frenchy in '' Grease'', Denise Stevens Downey in '' Benson'' and Stacy Jones in '' Shining Time Station''.
Early life
Edith Bernst ...
. This pronunciation has also led some people to incorrectly believe that the company is French-owned.[ In recognition of the nickname's popularity and cachet, Target Corporation licensed its new name and logo to Brand Central LLC in 2006, complete with an accent over the letter "E" for a new line of clothing aimed at more upscale fashion customers. The line, "Targét Couture," was originally sold in ]Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
-based store Intuition, which deals with high-end brands.
Nomenclature
Target uses a practice that was derived in 1989 from The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
[ by calling its customers "Guests," its employees "Team Members," and its supervisors "Team Leaders." Also, managers are known as "Executive Team Leaders (ETLs)," "Senior Team Leaders (SRTLs)," or "Service and Engagement Team Leaders (SETLs)," and the Store Manager is known as the "Store Team Leader (STL)," Further up the "chain of command" are "District Team Leaders (DTL)," "Group Team Leaders (GTL, sometimes also Group Vice President)," "Regional Team Leaders (RTL, sometimes also Regional Vice President)," and corporate-level executives.
This practice began to be revised in 2018 and became more widespread in 2019 as the Group Team Leader became the Group Operations Director. District Team Leader became the District Senior Director. The Store Team Leader became Store Director. Executive Team Leaders were shortened to Executive Team Lead. Other Team Leaders retained their title though some of the department names changed such as Guest Service Team Leader was renamed Service & Engagement Team Leader. Front of store team members was renamed Guest Advocates. Specialty areas in Style, Beauty and Tech are considered Consultants. Other areas such as General Merchandise, Presentation, Inbound, Fulfillment, Food Service and Reverse Logistics are considered Experts, and Assets Protection and Security Officers are Specialists. Distribution centers and the supply chain including corporate office refers to its employees as Team members, Operations manager, Senior operations manager, Distribution Director, Problem Solvers, and Leads.
]
Product lines and partnerships
Target has many exclusive deals with various designers and name brands, including Finnish design company Marimekko
Marimekko Oyj is a Finnish textiles, clothing, and home furnishings company founded by Viljo and Armi Ratia in Helsinki in 1951. Marimekko made important contributions to fashion in the 1960s. It is particularly noted for its brightly colored pri ...
; architect Michael Graves
Michael Graves (July 9, 1934 – March 12, 2015) was an American architect, designer, and educator, as well as principal of Michael Graves and Associates and Michael Graves Design Group. He was a member of The New York Five and the Memphis Gr ...
; athletic wear company Converse
Converse may refer to:
Mathematics and logic
* Converse (logic), the result of reversing the two parts of a definite or implicational statement
** Converse implication, the converse of a material implication
** Converse nonimplication, a logical c ...
; Portland-based undergarment designer Pair of Thieves; Italian fashion label Fiorucci
Fiorucci () is an Italian fashion label founded by Elio Fiorucci in 1967. The first Fiorucci shop exposed Milan to the styles of Swinging London and to American classics such as the T-shirt and jeans. By the late 1970s, the direction of stylis ...
; fashion designers Lilly Pulitzer
Lillian Pulitzer Rousseau (November 10, 1931 – April 7, 2013) was an American entrepreneur, fashion designer, and socialite. She founded Lilly Pulitzer, Inc., which produces floral print clothing and other wares.
Career
Lilly and husband H ...
, Liz Lange
Liz Lange is an American fashion designer and businessperson. She is the creative director and CEO of Figue, and the founder of Liz Lange Maternity, which introduced form-fitting designer pregnancy wear in 1998. Lange has been called a pioneer ...
, Mossimo Giannulli
Mossimo Giannulli (born Massimo Giannulli; June 4, 1963) is an American fashion designer who founded Mossimo, a mid-range clothing company, in 1986. In March 2019, Giannulli and his wife, actress Lori Loughlin, were charged and arrested in conne ...
, and Isaac Mizrahi
Isaac Mizrahi (born October 14, 1961) is an American fashion designer, television presenter and chief designer of the Isaac Mizrahi brand for Xcel Brands. Based in New York City, he is best known for his eponymous fashion lines. Mizrahi was prev ...
, among others. To further increase its fashion profile, Target also created its fashion-forward Go International Go International is a Target Corporation store brand that focuses on affordable apparel and accessories for women. Each season is created by a different designer who is already well known for their high-end collections and is only available for 90 d ...
line, which hires famous designers to design collections available only for a few months.[Is Target making a Graves mistake?]
, ''Discount Store News'', February 8, 1999.
After hiring architect Michael Graves to design the scaffolding used to renovate the Washington Monument
The Washington Monument is an obelisk shaped building within the National Mall in Washington, D.C., built to commemorate George Washington, once commander-in-chief of the Continental Army (1775–1784) in the American Revolutionary War and the ...
and contributing US$6 million to the restoration plan, Target introduced its first designer line of products in 1999, the Michael Graves Collection of housewares and home decor products. Walmart
Walmart Inc. (; formerly Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.) is an American multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets (also called supercenters), discount department stores, and grocery stores from the United States, headquarter ...
and Kmart
Kmart Corporation ( , doing business as Kmart and stylized as kmart) is an American retail company that owns a chain of big box department stores. The company is headquartered in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, United States.
The company was inc ...
have followed Target's lead by signing exclusive designers to their stores as well. Target also partners with well-established national brands to create exclusive collections for its stores.
Target also signed an exclusive deal with Food Network
Food Network is an American basic cable channel owned by Television Food Network, G.P., a joint venture and general partnership between Warner Bros. Discovery Networks (which holds a 69% ownership stake of the network) and Nexstar Media Group ...
to sell VHS tapes of TV shows featuring popular chefs such as Alton Brown
Alton Crawford Brown Jr. (born July 30, 1962) is an American television personality, food show presenter, chef, author, voice actor, and cinematographer. He is the creator and host of the Food Network television show ''Good Eats'' that ran for ...
, Paula Deen
Paula Ann Hiers Deen (born January 19, 1947) is an American chef, cookbook author, and TV personality. Deen resides in Savannah, Georgia, where she owns and operates The Lady & Sons restaurant and Paula Deen's Creek House with her sons, Jamie ...
, and Rachael Ray
Rachael Domenica Ray (born August 25, 1968) is an American cook, television personality, businesswoman, and author. She hosts the syndicated daily talk and lifestyle program '' Rachael Ray'', and the Food Network series ''30 Minute Meals'' ...
.
In 2005, Target introduced a major revision of prescription bottles, which it calls the ClearRx
ClearRx is a trademark for a design for prescription drug packaging, designed by design student Deborah Adler as a Thesis, thesis project and adopted by Target Corporation (with refinements by Industrial design, industrial designer Klaus Rosburg) f ...
system. The redesigned bottles are color-coded, flattened-out and turned upside down, providing more room for the label. This system was based on the patent by student Deborah Adler and was named one of ''TIME's'' "Most Amazing Inventions of 2005." After Target sold their in-store pharmacy and clinic operations to CVS Health in December 2015, CVS discontinued the use of ClearRx.
Sometimes manufacturers will create red-colored items exclusively for Target. In 2002, Nintendo
is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational video game company headquartered in Kyoto, Japan. It develops video games and video game consoles.
Nintendo was founded in 1889 as by craftsman Fusajiro Yamauchi and originally produce ...
produced a red special edition variant of the Game Boy Advance
The (GBA) is a 32-bit handheld game console developed, manufactured and marketed by Nintendo as the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001, in North America on June 11, 2001, in the PAL region on June 22, 2 ...
, which featured the Target logo above the screen.[Target Gets Exclusive New GBA Color!](_blank)
, ''Nintendo World Report'', Billy Berghammer, November 25, 2002.
In 2005, IFC began a partnership with Target to promote a selection of independent films, both in Target stores and on IFC Monday nights at 9:00 pm Eastern. Originally titled ''IFC Cinema Red'', the promotion was rebranded on-air as ''The Spotlight'' in 2007. The in-store headers refer to the selected titles as ''IFC Indies – Independent films chosen for Target by the Independent Film Channel.''
In 2016, Target began to enforce gender neutrality in its marketing of toys, and stopped explicitly listed specific toys as being for "boys" or "girls." This change came after the store stopped color coding toy aisles with pink and blue for "girls" or "boys," respectively. This practice was expanded with the February 2016 launch of new children's decor line, Pillowfort, which replaced its Circo brand and features more gender-neutral designs and color schemes.
In February 2021, Target announced it would begin opening "mini Apple
An apple is an edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus domestica''). Apple fruit tree, trees are agriculture, cultivated worldwide and are the most widely grown species in the genus ''Malus''. The tree originated in Central Asia, wh ...
shops" in some of its stores.
Gift cards
The Target GiftCard is the retailing division's stored-value card
A stored-value card (SVC) is a payment card with a monetary value stored on the card itself, not in an external account maintained by a financial institution. This means no network access is required by the payment collection terminals as funds ...
or gift card
A gift card also known as gift certificate in North America, or gift voucher or gift token in the UK is a prepaid stored-value money card, usually issued by a retailer or bank, to be used as an alternative to cash for purchases within a parti ...
. Target sells more gift cards than any other retailer in the United States and is one of the top sellers, by dollars and units, in the world. The unique designs of their cards contribute to their higher sales, as well as Target's policy of no expiration dates or service fees. Past and current designs include lenticular, "scratch and sniff" (such as peppermint during the Christmas season), glow in the dark, LED
A light-emitting diode (LED) is a semiconductor Electronics, device that Light#Light sources, emits light when Electric current, current flows through it. Electrons in the semiconductor recombine with electron holes, releasing energy i ...
light-up, a gift card on the side of a bubble blower, a gift card that can function as a CD-ROM
A CD-ROM (, compact disc read-only memory) is a type of read-only memory consisting of a pre-pressed optical compact disc that contains data. Computers can read—but not write or erase—CD-ROMs. Some CDs, called enhanced CDs, hold both comput ...
, and even a gift card that allows the sender to record a voice message. A current environmentally friendly gift card is made from bioplastic
Bioplastics are plastic materials produced from renewable biomass sources, such as vegetable fats and oils, corn starch, straw, woodchips, sawdust, recycled food waste, etc. Some bioplastics are obtained by processing directly from natural bi ...
manufactured from corn. Target rolled out a new MP3 player gift card for the 2006 holiday season. It holds 12 songs and must be purchased with an initial value of at least $50.
Beginning in January 2010, Target Stores rolled out Mobile GiftCards, through which one can produce a GiftCard barcode on any web-capable cell phone. This data matrix barcode can be scanned at a Target POS like any physical card barcode, and balances can be stored, retrieved, and gifted with the convenience of a cell phone.
Some of these unique design ideas are patented, and these patents are assigned to the Target Brands subsidiary. For example, some such Target GiftCard designs feature a wooden front side. On May 24, 2005, the United States Patent and Trademark Office
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is an agency in the U.S. Department of Commerce that serves as the national patent office and trademark registration authority for the United States. The USPTO's headquarters are in Alexa ...
granted U.S. patent D505,450 for the "ornamental design for credit or stored value card with wood layer" to inventors Amy L. Lauer and John D. Mayhew. U.S. patent 7004398, for the "stored-value card assembly including a stored-value card, an edible product, and a wrapper", was granted to Michael R. Francis and Barry C. Brooks on February 28, 2006. Both patents have been assigned by their inventors to Target Brands, Inc.
Target GiftCards are also collector's items. Some of the first gift cards issued are valued at over $300 (even though the card doesn't have any money on it). Every year, Target introduces new Holiday GiftCards. In 2007, Target's Holiday GiftCards featured a wind-up flashlight, a musical gift card, a gift card that lights up, and a scented gift card.
Target forensic services
In 2006, ''The Washington Post
''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
'' revealed that Target was operating two criminal forensics laboratories, one at its headquarters and the other in Las Vegas
Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
. Originally, the lab was created with the role of investigating internal instances of theft, fraud, and other criminal actions that have occurred on its own properties. Eventually, the company began offering ''pro bono
( en, 'for the public good'), usually shortened to , is a Latin phrase for professional work undertaken voluntarily and without payment. In the United States, the term typically refers to provision of legal services by legal professionals for pe ...
'' services to law enforcement agencies across the country. Target's Forensic Services has assisted agencies at all levels of government, including such federal agencies as the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE), commonly referred to as the ATF, is a domestic law enforcement agency within the United States Department of Justice. Its responsibilities include the investigation and prevent ...
, the Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice, ...
, and the United States Secret Service
The United States Secret Service (USSS or Secret Service) is a federal law enforcement agency under the Department of Homeland Security charged with conducting criminal investigations and protecting U.S. political leaders, their families, and ...
.
Criticism and controversy
Animal welfare concerns
In 2011, Mercy for Animals
Mercy For Animals (MFA) is an international nonprofit animal protection organization founded in 1999 by Milo Runkle. MFA's mission is to "prevent cruelty to farmed animals and promote compassionate food choices and policies."
MFA has conducted mo ...
, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preventing cruelty to farmed animals and promoting compassionate food choices and policies, uncovered alleged animal abuse
Cruelty to animals, also called animal abuse, animal neglect or animal cruelty, is the infliction by omission (neglect) or by commission by humans of suffering or harm upon non-human animals. More narrowly, it can be the causing of harm or suf ...
at a Target egg supplier, Sparboe Farms.
The investigation received international media attention; it aired first on ABC's ''Good Morning America
''Good Morning America'' (often abbreviated as ''GMA'') is an American morning television program that is broadcast on ABC. It debuted on November 3, 1975, and first expanded to weekends with the debut of a Sunday edition on January 3, 1993. Th ...
'', ''World News Tonight with Diane Sawyer
''ABC World News Tonight'' (titled ''ABC World News Tonight with David Muir'' for its weeknight broadcasts since September 2014) is the flagship daily evening television news program of ABC News, the news division of the American Broadcasting ...
'', and ''20/20
Visual acuity (VA) commonly refers to the clarity of vision, but technically rates an examinee's ability to recognize small details with precision. Visual acuity is dependent on optical and neural factors, i.e. (1) the sharpness of the retinal ...
''. As a result of the investigation and the public outcry that followed, Target immediately discontinued its relationship with the company. In January 2016, Target Corp. announced that it will discontinue the use of eggs from caged hens, and become entirely cage-free by 2025.
LGBTQ
Pop star Lady Gaga
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta ( ; born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She is known for her image reinventions and musical versatility. Gaga began performing as a teenag ...
was expected to give the store an exclusive expanded edition of her then upcoming album '' Born This Way'', but she ended the deal after discovering that then CEO Gregg Steinhafel donated to a political action group that supported an anti-gay candidate. Target apologized and began its outward support of the LGBTQ
' is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity.
The LGBT term is ...
community. In 2012, it began by stocking gay pride
LGBT pride (also known as gay pride or simply pride) is the promotion of the self-affirmation, dignity, equality, and increased visibility of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people as a social group. Pride, as opposed to s ...
merchandise and donating half of the profits to GLSEN
GLSEN (pronounced ''glisten''; formerly the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network) is an American education organization working to end discrimination, harassment, and bullying based on sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expres ...
. In 2014 it began featuring LGBTQ individuals and couples in national advertising. In 2015, Target debuted their #takepride campaign, and partnered with GLSEN to produce a mini-documentary celebrating their 25th anniversary. Target sponsors many LGBTQ non-profits including Human Rights Campaign
The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) is an American LGBTQ advocacy group. It is the largest LGBTQ political lobbying organization within the United States. Based in Washington, D.C., the organization focuses on protecting and expanding rights for LGB ...
, GLSEN, GLAAD
GLAAD (), an acronym of Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, is an American non-governmental media monitoring organization originally founded as a protest against defamatory coverage of gay and lesbian demographics and their portrayals ...
, Family Equality Council, NGLCC and the Williams Institute
The Williams Institute on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Law and Public Policy, usually shortened to Williams Institute, is a public policy research institute based at the UCLA School of Law focused on sexual orientation and gender ident ...
. For the last three years, Target has been the presenting sponsor of GLAAD's Spirit Day
Spirit Day is an annual LGBTQ awareness day observed on the third Thursday in October. Started in 2010 by Canadian teenager Brittany McMillan, it was initially created in response to a rash of widely publicized bullying-related suicides of ga ...
. In 2017, Target was the founding partner of New York City's Pride Youth. Target has been ranked by LGBTQ Consumers as a favorite brand in 2016 & 2017 by Community Marketing Inc's 10th & 11th Annual LGBT Community Survey. Target has a score of 100 on the Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index for their corporate policies and practices pertinent to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer employees. In 2019, Target donated $100,000 to GLSEN.
Consumer data usage
On February 12, 2012, ''The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' published an article which detailed a statistical model that Target had deployed which used customer data to assign guests a “pregnancy prediction score”. This article contained an account of a father who complained to a store manager about his teenage daughter receiving pregnancy-related coupons and subsequently discovered that his daughter was actually pregnant. This anecdote received wide coverage in other media outlets. The public backlash focused on privacy concerns around companies using data mining techniques to infer sensitive information about customers, as well as perceived attempts to hide the influence of the model by interspersing pregnancy-related coupons in advertising for general household goods. Target responded by defending its customer analytics program and stating that the resulting inferences were in compliance with federal and state health information laws.
The controversy also resulted in a wider conversation around informed consent and whether terms of service are sufficient to notify consumers of the potential use of data mining techniques. In response to this and similar consumer concerns, the White House
The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 1800. ...
released a “Consumer Bill of Rights” which outlined consumer expectations for security, transparency, and corporate accountability when it comes to online data usage.
"Bathroom policy" and boycott
In April 2016, Target announced on its website that it would allow transgender customers and employees access to use restrooms and changing areas that correspond with the gender with which they identify, except where local laws require otherwise. The announcement read: "We believe that everyone—every team member, every guest, and every community—deserves to be protected from discrimination, and treated equally. Consistent with this belief, Target supports the federal Equality Act, which provides protections to LGBT individuals, and opposes action that enables discrimination. In our stores, we demonstrate our commitment to an inclusive experience in many ways. Most relevant for the conversations currently underway, we welcome transgender team members and guests to use the restroom or fitting room facility that corresponds with their gender identity." ''The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' called this "the most prominent position taken by a national retailer". In response, the American Family Association (AFA) launched a nationwide boycott; by April 28 about one million people had signed the AFA's petition. Around the time of publicity about the policy, polls reported a drop from 42% to 38% of consumers noting they would shop at Target. In mid-May, CEO Cornell said the boycott impacted "just a handful of stores across the country". Some observers, such as ''Fortune
Fortune may refer to:
General
* Fortuna or Fortune, the Roman goddess of luck
* Luck
* Wealth
* Fortune, a prediction made in fortune-telling
* Fortune, in a fortune cookie
Arts and entertainment Film and television
* ''The Fortune'' (1931 film) ...
''s Phil Wahba, believed that Target's bathroom policy may have caused part of Target's drop in shopper traffic during the second quarter of 2016. On August 17, Target announced it would add a third, private, single-stall locking bathroom at many of its stores. In 2017, Cornell claimed not to know about, or have approved, the policy before it was published. The policy cost the business US$20 million and caused sales to fall nearly 6% in the three quarters following.
Absence of AEDs in stores
In 2014, the California Supreme Court ruled that Target stores do not have a positive duty to keep automated external defibrillators
An automated external defibrillator (AED) is a portable electronic device that automatically diagnoses the life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias of ventricular fibrillation (VF) and pulseless ventricular tachycardia, and is able to treat them thro ...
(AEDs) in stores for purposes of first aid. This decision came after a 49-year-old woman died following a heart attack in a Target store, and two family members filed a wrongful-death lawsuit.
Refusal to stock albums after digital release
Target initially refused to sell Frank Ocean
Christopher Francis "Frank" Ocean (born Christopher Edwin Breaux; October 28, 1987), is an American singer, songwriter, and rapper. His works are noted by music critics for featuring avant-garde styles and introspective, elliptical lyrics. Ocean ...
's ''Channel Orange
''Channel Orange'' (stylized as ''channel ORANGE'') is the debut studio album by American R&B singer-songwriter Frank Ocean. It was released on July 10, 2012, by Def Jam Recordings. After releasing his mixtape '' Nostalgia, Ultra'' the previous ...
'' and Beyoncé
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Beyoncé's boundary-pushing artistry and vocals have made her the most influential female musician of the 21st century, according to ...
's self-titled album, due to those records becoming available to digital retailers, like iTunes
iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mul ...
, before physical copies were made. Target representatives argued that doing so impacted how well those records would sell at Target stores, and stocking them could cause the corporation to lose money.
Major sponsorships
Events
* Target often supports major awards shows, such as the Emmys
The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...
, Golden Globes
The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...
, Grammys
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
, and Oscars
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
.
* Target Corporation is a major sponsor of the annual Minneapolis Aquatennial
The Minneapolis Aquatennial is an annual outdoor event held in the U.S. city of Minneapolis, Minnesota, during the third full week of July. Originating in 1940, the Minneapolis Aquatennial celebrates the city's famous lakes, rivers, and streams. ...
, where it hosts the Target Fireworks Show, the largest annual fireworks show west of the Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it f ...
and the fourth-largest annual fireworks show in the United States.
* Target was a sponsor of the 2006–2007 New Year's Times Square Ball
The Times Square Ball is a time ball located in New York City's Times Square. Located on the roof of One Times Square, the ball is a prominent part of a New Year's Eve celebration in Times Square commonly referred to as the ball drop, where the ...
drop, and had its logo placed on the confetti dropped during the celebrations, as well as specially designed "2007" glasses.
Sports
Minnesota United FC
In January 2017, Minnesota United FC, a Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer (MLS) is a men's professional soccer league sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation, which represents the sport's highest level in the United States. The league comprises 29 teams—26 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada ...
expansion team debuting for the 2017 season, announced that Target would be the team's front-of-jersey match-kit sponsor, as well as sponsoring MLS overall. This brings one of the largest sponsors in the league, especially for an expansion team making its debut appearance. The team also has an advantage of having a large, well-known hometown brand versus an entity outside the region, in addition to the financial benefits of such a large sponsor.
Major League Soccer and US Youth Soccer
In 2017, Target announced a series of national, local, and charitable initiatives that mark the retailer's largest-ever push into team sports. Target became an official partner of Major League Soccer in a multiyear deal that includes airtime during MLS broadcasts on Univision
Univision () is an American Spanish-language free-to-air television network owned by TelevisaUnivision. It is the United States' largest provider of Spanish-language content. The network's programming is aimed at the Latino public and includes ...
, FOX Sports
Fox Sports is the brand name for a number of sports channels, broadcast divisions, programming, and other media around the world.
The ''Fox Sports'' name has since been used for other sports media assets. These assets are held mainly by the Fo ...
, and ESPN
ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...
, opportunities for in-stadium experiences, player appearances, and ownership of certain major MLS platforms. Target also announced a $14 million commitment to local youth soccer through two new national initiatives—an $8 million local soccer grant program, and a $6 million partnership with the U.S. Soccer Foundation to build 100 new soccer play spaces by 2020. Target is the official sponsor of 2017 and 2018 MLS All Star Games.
Extreme sports
Target sponsors professional freestyle motocross
Freestyle motocross (also known as FMX) is a variation on the sport of motocross in which motorcycle riders attempt to impress judges with jumps and stunts.
The two main types of freestyle events are:
*Big air (also known as "best trick"), in whi ...
rider Nate Adams
Nathaniel Adams (born March 29, 1984) is an American professional freestyle motocross rider and extreme sports athlete. A resident of Temecula, California, he attained national fame when he won the Freestyle Motocross World Championship in 2 ...
, pro snowboarder/skateboarder Shaun White
Shaun Roger White (born September 3, 1986) is an American former professional snowboarder and skateboarder. He is a five-time Olympian and a three-time Olympic gold medalist in half-pipe snowboarding. He holds the world record for the most X G ...
, pro skateboarder Paul Rodriguez, pro BMX rider Mat Hoffman
Mat Hoffman (born January 9, 1972) is an American BMX rider who is considered one of the best vert ramp riders in the history of the sport. He is nicknamed "The Condor" and runs the BMX Freestyle brand Hoffman BMX Bikes based out of ...
, and pro surfer Kolohe Andino
Kolohe Andino (born March 22, 1994, in San Clemente, California) is an American surfer. Andino began surfing at a young age and holds the record for winning the most National Scholastic Surfing Association (NSSA) titles of any male competitor, ...
.
Motocross
Target sponsors Motocross and Supercross champion Ryan Dungey
Ryan Dungey (born December 4, 1989) is an American professional motocross and supercross racer. He competed in the AMA Motocross Championships from 2006 to 2017 and again in 2022. Dungey is notable for being a four-time supercross and four-time ( ...
.
Chip Ganassi Racing
Target was a long-time sponsor of the IndyCar and NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. The privately owned company was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1948, and hi ...
racing teams of Chip Ganassi Racing. Target's relationship with Ganassi in IndyCar go back to 1990 when it began sponsoring Eddie Cheever
Edward McKay "Eddie" Cheever Jr. (born January 10, 1958) is an American former racing driver who raced for almost 30 years in Formula One, sports cars, CART, and the Indy Racing League. Cheever participated in 143 Formula One World Championshi ...
. Some of their most famous drivers in the 1990s include Michael Andretti
Michael Mario Andretti (born October 5, 1962) is an American semi-retired auto racing driver and current team owner. Statistically one of the most successful drivers in the history of American open-wheel car racing, Andretti won the 1991 CART PP ...
, Bryan Herta
Bryan John Herta (born May 23, 1970) is an American former race car driver. He currently runs his own team, Bryan Herta Autosport in the NTT IndyCar Series. His team won the 2011 Indianapolis 500 with driver Dan Wheldon and the 2016 Indianapolis ...
, and Arie Luyendyk
Arie Luijendijk (anglicised as Arie Luyendyk; born 21 September 1953), nicknamed "The Flying Dutchman," is a Dutch former auto racing driver, and winner of the 1990 and 1997 Indianapolis 500 races. He was inducted into the Indianapolis Motor Sp ...
. In the late 1990s, Target Chip Ganassi Racing had a four-year run of winning championships in CART
A cart or dray (Australia and New Zealand) is a vehicle designed for transport, using two wheels and normally pulled by one or a pair of draught animals. A handcart is pulled or pushed by one or more people.
It is different from the flatbed tr ...
, winning 1996 with Jimmy Vasser
James Vasser Jr. (born November 20, 1965) is an American former racing driver. Vasser won the 1996 CART IndyCar championship with Chip Ganassi Racing, and scored ten victories in the series. Vasser was the last American to win the CART champio ...
, 1997 and 1998 with Alex Zanardi
Alessandro "Alex" Zanardi (; born 23 October 1966) is an Italian professional racing driver and paracyclist. He won the CART championship in 1997 and 1998, and took 15 wins in the series. He also raced in Formula One from 1991 to 1994 and aga ...
, and 1999 with Juan Pablo Montoya
Juan Pablo Montoya Roldán (; born September 20, 1975) is a Colombian racing driver.
He won the International F3000 championship in 1998, the CART FedEx Championship Series in 1999 in his debut year in the series, and the IMSA WeatherTech ...
. Ganassi won their first Indianapolis 500
The Indianapolis 500, formally known as the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, and commonly called the Indy 500, is an annual automobile race held at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) in Speedway, Indiana, United States, an enclave suburb of Indi ...
in 2000. The team moved full-time into the rival Indy Racing League
The IndyCar Series, currently known as the NTT IndyCar Series under sponsorship, is the highest class of regional North American open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars in the United States, which has been conducted under the auspices o ...
in 2003, and won in its first year of full-time competition, with Scott Dixon
Scott Ronald Dixon (born 22 July 1980) is a professional racing driver from New Zealand, who competes in the NTT IndyCar Series for Chip Ganassi Racing. Dixon has won the IndyCar championship six times: in 2003, 2008, 2013, 2015, 2018 and 202 ...
, who won the championship again in 2008. The 2009 season marked the 20th anniversary of the Target race program. Franchitti won his second career IndyCar championship, and with Scott Dixon finishing second, gave Target a one-two sweep in the IndyCar series. Dixon and Franchitti won 10 of 17 races (five each) and tied the team record from 1998 when Alex Zanardi and Jimmy Vasser combined to win 10 in the 19-race 1998 CART season. In 2010, Franchitti won the Indianapolis 500. He also won the series championship for the Target team, by five points over second-place finisher Will Power
William "Will" Steven Power (born 1 March 1981) is an Australian motorsports driver who currently competes in the IndyCar Series, driving for Team Penske. He is the 2014 and 2022 IndyCar Series champion and the 2018 Indianapolis 500 champion. ...
.
Target started sponsoring stock cars in 2001 with Sterling Marlin
Sterling Burton Marlin (born June 30, 1957) is an American semi-retired, professional stock car racing driver. He currently competes part-time JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour, driving the No. 114 for Sterling Marlin Racing. He formerly competed in the N ...
when Chip Ganassi bought into the Felix Sabates
Feliciano Sergio "Félix" Sabates Jr. (born September 9, 1945) is a retired Cuban-born entrepreneur and philanthropist living in the United States.
He is currently a partner in Chip Ganassi Racing teams, which formerly fielded teams in the NASCA ...
stock-car team. In the 2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season, the No. 41 Chip Ganassi Target car was driven by Jimmy Spencer, and from 2003 to 2005, Casey Mears
Casey James Mears (born March 12, 1978) is an American professional off-road and stock car racing driver. He has raced in IndyCar, NASCAR's three national series including 15 seasons in the Cup Series, SCORE International, and the Stadium Super ...
drove the car. In 2006, Reed Sorenson
Bradley Reed Sorenson (born February 5, 1986) is an American professional stock car racing driver and spotter. He last competed part-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 27 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE for Premium Motorsports, the Nos. 74 ...
took over the 41 car when Mears moved to a different car on the same team. Sorenson drove the car through the 2008 season, and Target has also had some major sponsorship time on the Ganassi Racing No. 40 car with Dario Franchitti and Jeremy Mayfield
Jeremy Allen Mayfield (born May 27, 1969) is an American stock car racing driver. He drove cars for the Sadler brothers, T.W. Taylor, Cale Yarborough, Michael Kranefuss, Roger Penske, Ray Evernham, Bill Davis, and Gene Haas. In 2009, he drove for ...
, who subbed for the injured Franchitti. The 40 team has since been shut down. For 2009, the Target sponsorship moved to the No. 42 driven by Juan Pablo Montoya with the newly formed Earnhardt Ganassi Racing
Chip Ganassi Racing, LLC (CGR), also sometimes branded as Chip Ganassi Racing Teams, is an American auto racing organization with teams competing in the NTT IndyCar Series, IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, FIA World Endurance Championsh ...
. Target also sponsored Earnhardt Ganassi Racing's No. 8 car driven by Aric Almirola, which it co-sponsors in some races with other sponsors such as Guitar Hero
''Guitar Hero'' is a series of music rhythm game video games first released in November 2005, in which players use a guitar-shaped game controller to simulate playing primarily lead, bass guitar, and rhythm guitar across numerous songs ...
and TomTom
TomTom N.V. is a Dutch multinational developer and creator of location technology and consumer electronics. Founded in 1991 and headquartered in Amsterdam, TomTom released its first generation of satellite navigation devices to market in 2004. ...
until the team was disbanded in May 2009. Kyle Larson
Kyle Miyata Larson (born July 31, 1992) is an American professional auto racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Hendrick Motorsports. Larson is the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champi ...
took over the No. 42 car in 2014 and Target sponsored the No. 51 of Phoenix Racing for Larson's Sprint Cup Series
The NASCAR Cup Series is the top racing series of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR). The series began in 1949 as the Strictly Stock Division, and from 1950 to 1970 it was known as the Grand National Division. In 1971 ...
debut.
The Target Chip Ganassi car driven by Dario Franchitti won the 94th running of the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, May 30, 2010.
Target ended its association with IndyCar racing at the end of the 2016 season. In July 2017, Target announced that it would end its sponsorship of Ganassi's NASCAR team at the end of the year.
Naming rights
Target owns the naming rights to the Minnesota Timberwolves
The Minnesota Timberwolves are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis. The Timberwolves compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. Founded in 19 ...
' home, Target Center
Target Center is a multi-purpose arena located in Minneapolis that opened in 1990. It hosts major family shows, concerts, sporting events, graduations and private events. Target Corporation, founded and headquartered in Minneapolis since 1902, ...
since it first opened in 1990. Target also owns the naming rights to the Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central Division. The team is named after the Twin Cities area w ...
' home ballpark, Target Field
Target Field is a baseball stadium in the North Loop, Minneapolis, historic warehouse district of downtown Minneapolis. Since its opening in 2010, the stadium has been the home ballpark of Major League Baseball's Minnesota Twins. The stadium hos ...
.
Radio
Target was the founding sponsor of the ''Weekend America
''Weekend America'' was a weekly public radio program dealing with news, popular culture, the arts and more. The program was produced for American Public Media and hosted by John Moe in Saint Paul, Minnesota.
''Weekend America'' launched Saturd ...
'' radio program.
In popular culture
*One of the earliest references to Target in popular culture is the film '' Career Opportunities'' (1991), written by John Hughes, in which an employee and a customer fall in love after hours inside a Target store.
*American television program ''Saturday Night Live
''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serves a ...
'' featured a recurring sketch in the 2000s starring the Target Lady, an overly enthusiastic Target cashier, played by cast member Kristen Wiig
Kristen Carroll Wiig (; born August 22, 1973) is an American actress, comedian, screenwriter, and producer. Born in Canandaigua, New York, she was raised in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and Rochester, New York. She moved to Los Angeles, where she joi ...
.
*Target is the namesake of an episode of the third season of American TV comedy '' Superstore''. In the episode, an employee at the fictional big-box retailer "Cloud 9" leaves for a job at Target, and is accused of poaching employees.
See also
* Design For All (product line)
Design For All is a range of designer products made available at discount retailers by the Target Corporation.
In the late 1990s, the Target Corporation began designer partnerships to bring products created by well known designers in different dis ...
References
Bibliography
* Leebrick, Kristal (2013). ''Dayton's: A Twin Cities Institution''.
*
External links
* retailing website
*
Target Corporation
corporate website
*
Target International Shopping Page
Growth of Target, 1962–2008
{{Authority control
Companies based in Minneapolis
American companies established in 1902
Retail companies established in 1902
Companies listed on the New York Stock Exchange
1902 establishments in Minnesota
Superstores in the United States
Discount stores of the United States
Pharmacies of the United States
Health care companies based in Minnesota
Toy retailers of the United States
1960s initial public offerings
Consumer electronics retailers in the United States
Online retailers of the United States