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Unlike other mass merchants with a value pitch to consumers, Target is rooted in American department store history. Minneapolis-based department store conglomerate Dayton-Hudson launched the discount chain in 1962, shrewdly anticipating the move toward off price and other lower-cost options.
Target’s “cheap chic” merchandising, which even executives refer to as “Tarzhay,” has often bolstered its fortunes.
But the retailer may be at a crossroads, with weaknesses where there once was strength. Join Retail Dive Reporters Daphne Howland and Dani James for a discussion about the mass retailer’s unique history, the ups and downs of its differentiation, and where it may be headed.
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Editor’s note: This episode was produced and edited by Caroline Jansen.