Target Launches First TargetExpress

By Brianna Ahearn, contributing writer

Target launched its first TargetExpress store on July 27 near the company's corporate headquarters in Minnesota. Located in Minneapolis' Dinkytown neighborhood, the 20,000 square foot store is the smallest in the chain. CBS Minnesota reported it's the 1/6 the size of a traditional Target store, and 1/9 the size of a Super Target. The company has positioned the new store near the University of Minnesota, making it a good draw for college students. The TargetExpress comes after the retailer spent months canvasing the neighborhood to see what the public would want from an urban store location. The store is designed for “filler trips,” says store manager Karl Anderson.

Like its larger counterparts, the TargetExpress store features a pharmacy, plus a grocery section with fresh produce, meats, dairy items, snacks, and more. Customers will also find electronics, school/office supplies, accessories, beauty products, and more. The store contains mounted iPads in aisles that will help customers browse for items that may be available at nearby Target stores. Consumers are able to browse for items and place them in the smaller-size shopping baskets or two-tier carts. The unique store format has been tailor-made for city shoppers. By putting multiple product categories in one compact store, Target has eliminated the likelihood urban dwellers will need to shop at several stores for essentials. The store doesn't have typical Target categories like furniture, clothing, and bulk-size household products, but it does have student-centric apparel and items for the University of Minnesota.

Target has experimented with different approaches for its stores located in an urban core. It currently has several eight CityTarget locations in the United States. Like TargetExpress, CityTarget stores are made for the “quick shopper” to pick up a few items, rather than a cartload, like shoppers at a traditional Target.

The new store features a design catering to customers' needs, including lowered shelves and a streamlined check-out queue. At the entrance of the store is a “welcome wall” featuring artwork done by a recent University of Minnesota graduate, and in the beauty department is a beauty concierge, to help shoppers find the right makeup. In the electronics section, consumers can play on interactive displays of the newest mobile devices. With the needs of the city shopper in mind, TargetExpress features a wide array of grab and go items such as packaged salads, sandwiches, and other quick meals. At the end of the aisles, shoppers can find Cartwheel-themed endcaps displaying items that are available on Target's Cartwheel app. The store also features posters with merchandise that can be scanned and purchased via the retailer's new In a Snap app.

The new TargetExpress is the first of its kind and Target will be making adjustments where needed. According to the company’s director of store operations, Kamau Witherspoon, “We're testing things on an ongoing basis.”  Target is cognizant of the customer experience, asking shoppers at the TargetExpress to instant message a team member with any feedback.  More TargetExpress stores are planned for Minnesota, including one in St. Paul's Highland neighborhood. The San Francisco Business Times reported Target has announced three of the smaller-scale stores for the Bay Area, with the first possibly appearing on Ocean Avenue in the Ingleside neighborhood.