'Red Still Tells A Story': Target Makes In-Store Remodels A Priority In $7B Investment Plan
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Target just finished its 44th remodel in Minnesota, bringing big changes to the shopping experience.
A growing number of consumers are doing most of their shopping online, yet the Minneapolis-based company found reasons to make in-store remodels part of its $7 billion investment plan.
The changes aim to accomplish one of a few things: an inviting atmosphere, add convenience, and increase the quality of its customer service.
Aesthetic improvements include polished concrete flooring instead of tile, and spotlights above certain areas to make it a more home-like feel.
When it comes to customer service, Target—much like other retailers preforming well right now—understands how its in-store shoppers differentiate from its online ones. That's apparent with more employees having specialized expertise in the departments where they work, and in the motivation behind the new way Target's using its iconic red.
"So in old Target, there was a lot of red," said Edina Store Team Leader Rich Dean. "We've gone to a more neutral palette now. Red still tells a story—red shouts service. So if you see red, that's in an area where we're going to deliver a differentiated guest service experience."
Some of the changes are less obvious, but still change how people shop.
"There was a lot of guest research done around how our guests shop and what they want as they shop," Dean said. "When you look at, for example, our baby area—obviously a lot of that time our guest is coming in with a baby, with a child, multiple children at times. Where they want it to be easy to shop. So making sure it's wide enough for our guests not only to get a cart through, but maybe one of their strollers or baby carts."
The aisles in the baby section are wider than most in the store, and the aisles themselves are less uniform with the remodel. Dean emphasized the idea of creating a store within a store—displaying items in the context of how a shopper would see them at home.