Raising the Threshold: Target Debuts New Brand of Home Décor

March 7, 2013 - Article reads in

If you’ve visited A Bullseye View at all in the past year (we hope you have!), then you’ve heard us gush about Threshold, Target’s exclusive line of home décor, bedding and furniture.

We gave you a special sneak peek last summer, where Julie Guggemos, Vice President, Product Design and Development, was thrilled to debut the brand for the first time.

“We know how important great design is to our guest,” she said. “And to maintain Target’s style leadership position, we thought it was time to elevate our own assortment.”

Priding itself on personality, exceptional quality and outstanding design, the collection has been slowly trickling into stores since last fall, and will be completely rolled out this month. We stopped by the Spring 2013 Threshold preview and talked with Julie once again about the collection. Check it out below.

How has your team prepared for Threshold’s big launch?
We’ve more than doubled our team in the last three years in order to dedicate designers and engineers to focus on every Threshold product. When you look through the assortment, you’ll see this reflected in the quality. The team spends a ton of time researching and interacting with the guest to understand her needs and wants. How does she shop? How does she use dinnerware with her family? How does she entertain? What kind of attributes is she looking for in a product?. We find solutions to those questions and everyday problems through product features. We made sure to build in the most important features into products throughout the entire Threshold collection.

Can you share a good example of that?
There are a ton, but let’s start with dinnerware. We asked women many questions about their dinnerware—our goal was to redesign ceramics and porcelain. But the unanimous response was, “You know what? We don’t love anything that’s breakable.” Moms with kids want dinnerware pieces that are unbreakable and dishwasher-friendly, but also beautiful and look great for adult meals too. So we developed an assortment of dinnerware that looks like ceramic and porcelain. We added a lot of details—scalloped edges, ribbed and beaded textures, beautiful colors and patterns—so that she can integrate durable Threshold plates with china or designer pieces she already owns. And now she doesn’t have to worry about kids accidentally dropping them on the floor. This is one of the categories I’m most proud of.

What other areas are you most excited about?
The bathroom assortment—I think the biggest highlight is the elevated quality and texture. You’re not going to find this anywhere, not even in department stores. It is just fabulous. Everybody needs bath basics, so we wanted to make sure all of our basics—towels, shower hooks and curtains, bath rugs—were best in class. Then we incorporated fashion elements to make each feel one-of-a-kind. We conducted extensive guest research to find out what attributes are most important to her. Take towels, for example. We just thought she wanted density in her towels, but they also have to be absorbent, super soft, bleach-friendly and benzoyl peroxide-safe. So we built those attributes into the Threshold towels and they’re just $6.99. From a value standpoint, they are totally unprecedented.

What qualities did you want the Threshold brand to embody?
Quality, attention to detail and guest insights make up the core of Threshold. We didn’t want to design an item just because it was pretty; we wanted to design an item that was pretty and functional and had the attributes that were important to our guest.

What Spring 2013 Threshold pieces will you incorporate into your own home?
I’ll definitely pick up our window treatments—especially the ombre curtains. I already have a bunch of the textural towels in all the bathrooms in my house. And I’m also going to buy a full collection of the melamine plates.

See the full Threshold 2013 Spring Collection look below