Would an urban Target work downtown?

[Former_Detroiter]

Why are they being referred to as "urban." I live about 60 miles north of Albuquerque, NM where there are 5 Target stores within the city limits. I don't recall any of them being referred to as urban. Will the urban Target stores carry different merchandise?

[dtowncitylover]

Why are they being referred to as "urban." I live about 60 miles north of Albuquerque, NM where there are 5 Target stores within the city limits. I don't recall any of them being referred to as urban. Will the urban Target stores carry different merchandise?

City Targets have a smaller footprint, don't carry everything a suburban Target does, and is usually part/the anchor of a mixed development.

Your 5 Targets are probably the regular stores of 135,000 square feet.

[Onthe405]

City Targets have a smaller footprint, don't carry everything a suburban Target does, and is usually part/the anchor of a mixed development.

Not 100% sure, but I believe, within the past year or two, Target has since dropped the multiple-flag strategy [["City Target", "Target Greatland", "Target Express" etc), although they aren't necessarily re-branding/re-signing legacy stores.

"Urban" format has become an internal marketing term they use, but all store sizes will simply display the signature red target & name "Target" as signage. As the article suggests, the footprint is smaller, they offer goods geared toward apartment living instead of home ownership, and attempt to feature merchandise appealing to the given city's taste. At the ones I've been to, they also feature a tourist shop with souvenirs at a fraction of the price of the tourist-trap gift shops.

The concept is to stock only merchandise local urban residents would need to purchase grab-and-go [[Ex: a step stool, food, detergent, a pair of socks), and leave the rest of the shopping to online/pickup.

Macy's is doing the same thing. When they launched the refurbished store in downtown Los Angeles last year, the product line completely changed. For example, 80% of their furniture department is specifically geared toward stylish stuff that is designed to fit into a <700 sq ft space.

[detmsp]

Not 100% sure, but I believe, within the past year or two, Target has since dropped the multiple-flag strategy [["City Target", "Target Greatland", "Target Express" etc), although they aren't necessarily re-branding/re-signing legacy stores.

Greatland hasn't been a thing for... maybe over a decade? It's been so long I can't remember. Super Targets [[I know you didn't mention it, but relevant to the discussion I suppose) have been done for a number of years. City Target is largely a failed experiment. Now City Targets are just called Target... and for the most part under perform. Some were closed.

Target Express may still be a thing... Those stores were extremely small and had a very different product mix than a regular target. It was much more like a CVS plus the sold cell phones and some other small electronics. They started opening them in 2015, but I don't know how they are fairing or whether they are continuing to expand into this space.

[oladub]

J.L. Hudson merged with Target. It is ironic that the downtown Hudson store was torn down but a Target is being considered. What's changed? Reasons the downtown Hudson failed included Hudsons being built at Northland and Eastland and the decline of Detroit's population. Detroit's population has since suffered further declines. However, since Northland and Westland Hudsons are closed and Eastland Target was scheduled to close, they won't be siphoning off potential downtown business. By the way, why did Eastland's Target get the axe? A downtown Target with secure parking might be attractive to Windsor residents.

Minneapolis has a successful downtown Target although downtown Minneapolis is, like Seattle, more upscale and has more downtown residents. Free parking there with a minimum of $20 of purchases.

[archfan]

J.L. Hudson merged with Target. It is ironic that the downtown Hudson store was torn down but a Target is being considered. What's changed? Reasons the downtown Hudson failed included Hudsons being built at Northland and Eastland and the decline of Detroit's population. Detroit's population has since suffered further declines. However, since Northland and Westland Hudsons are closed and Eastland Target was scheduled to close, they won't be siphoning off potential downtown business. By the way, why did Eastland's Target get the axe? A downtown Target with secure parking might be attractive to Windsor residents.

Minneapolis has a successful downtown Target although downtown Minneapolis is, like Seattle, more upscale and has more downtown residents. Free parking there with a minimum of $20 of purchases.

Dayton's started Target in 1962, about the same time KMart and Walmart were starting their discount department stores. When Dayton's and Hudson's merged in 1969, they were merging their big downtown department stores, with suburban satellites; the 7 year old Target was an afterthought. Now, Target is the only one of the three left, and it's being threatened by Amazon. It will be fascinating to see who threatens Amazon - maybe the return of big, full-service department stores!

[iheartthed]

Greatland hasn't been a thing for... maybe over a decade? It's been so long I can't remember. Super Targets [[I know you didn't mention it, but relevant to the discussion I suppose) have been done for a number of years. City Target is largely a failed experiment. Now City Targets are just called Target... and for the most part under perform. Some were closed.

The City Target brand may be gone, but the concept is still alive. Target opened one in Manhattan's TriBeCa neighborhood about a year and a half ago.