TargetExpress Opens In Dinkytown
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – Target unveiled its latest store concept in Minneapolis' Dinkytown neighborhood Wednesday, and it's the smallest one yet.
TargetExpress, at the corner of SE 5th Street and SE 14th Avenue, is one-sixth the size of a traditional Target, about one-ninth the size of a SuperTarget. It's focused on essentials that people nearby would want.
Roommates Hannah Hitchcock and Rachel Rowland are staying two blocks away in a dorm during the University of Minnesota's summer session. They don't have cars, so they say they had mostly been living off cereal and granola bars from a drugstore.
"We went on the light rail all the way downtown to get our groceries before, and we'd have to carry them all back," Rowland said.
The new TargetExpress store features a grocery section with fresh fruits and vegetables, meats and dairy items. The company spent months learning the neighborhood and asking people what they wanted in an urban store.
Store manager Karl Anderson says every item in the store is a reflection of what the neighbors told them.
"People are looking for those filler trips, and so a lot of the items here will be smaller," Anderson said. "They're easy to get home from the store."
There are school supplies, electronics and accessories, along with DVDs and games that students may want for their free time.
The store also mounted iPads in some aisles that customers can use to find items that may be in other Target stores.
"If you just needed something quick or you had a question, you actually have the ability to instant message our team members," Anderson said. "The biggest thing that we want to do is learn from this space and learn from this guest, so we're going to do a really good job of soliciting their feedback."
The company already plans to build four more TargetExpress stores in 2015. One will be in St. Paul's Highland Park neighborhood.
Three others will be in the San Francisco Bay area.