design:retail - September/October 2019 - 56

Awards 2019

Retailer
of the Year

By ERIN M. LOEWE

PHOTO BY COREY GAFFER ©GAFFER PHOTOGRAPHY

A R G E T H A S A rich retail
heritage that goes
all the way back to
when Minneapolisbased department
store Dayton-Hudson
was founded in the
early 20th century.
When the retail giant
launched Target as an
upscale discount brand in 1962, the American notion of what a price-conscious retailer could be was
changed forever.
With its ambitious plans to remodel more than
1,000 stores (of about 1,800) by the end of 2020, as
well as opening about 30 small-format stores per
year, Target is sharpening its big-box footprint to
stay current with what its core clientele expects-
and to appeal to new audiences. An emphasis on

PHOTO BY RICHARD CADAN

Target

smaller stores that fit within dense suburban,
urban and college areas ensures that Target is maximizing its usefulness and accessibility to a range
of shoppers.
"When reimagining a store, we listen to our
guests to understand how we best create inspiring
and easy-to-shop moments throughout the guest
journey," says Sarah Amundsen, senior director
of store design at Target. "We balance newness by
maintaining intuitive navigation within a welcoming, bright and clean environment. Our goal is to
encourage exploration and discovery while delivering an easy, convenient experience for guests."
One of Target's newer small-format stores,
located in Portland, Ore.'s Powell Street neighborhood, has already garnered award attention in the

industry. The store occupies a former AMF Bowling
Center and incorporates much of the 1950s bowling alley design touches and charm. It's just one
illustration of how Target is working on more flexible store designs and curating its product lines for
smaller audiences.
To further integrate into local communities,
many of Target's small-format stores feature
collaborations with local artists to celebrate a
neighborhood's unique cultural identity. The commissioned art may be a mural behind the checkout
area or an installation in the parking lot, but either
way, it's a nod to the importance of art as a way to
enhance the shopping experience.
Its store remodels are focused on updating fixtures and layouts, as well as including lifestyle
vignettes in apparel and home areas to inspire
customers to envision how different merchandise
might fit together. Lower sightlines and improved
lighting in the beauty area show that Target hasn't
forgotten about more pragmatic design touches.
Another aspect of Target's "reimagining" is
focused on making the shopping experience easier
with larger online order pickup areas within stores
and drive-up lanes. The idea is to have an ideal
shopping scenario, whether it's for a quick trip or a
comprehensive shopping session.
"We will continue to put our guests at the center of everything we do and consider the human,
physical, and digital aspects of the shopping
experience we want to deliver," Amundsen says.
"In designing Target stores, our goal is to make the
entire shopping experience easy and inspiring for
every guest-no matter if they start their shopping
trip in-store or online. We constantly iterate, push
boundaries and test quickly to create impactful
guest experiences."
Congratulations to Target for being named
Retailer of the Year!

design:retail - September/October 2019

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