For the past year, we’ve been moving quickly on our plans to reimagine hundreds of our stores with elements from our next generation of store design, making shopping easier and more inspiring for guests.
That work is speeding up in 2018 with nearly triple the number of remodels, and some exciting news for our Minneapolis and St. Paul guests: We’re investing $250 million to remodel 28 of our Twin Cities stores (about half) this year, on the way to enhancing all area stores over the next few years. It’s part of our efforts to reimagine more than 1,000 stores across the country by the end of 2020.
“Target’s top priority is delivering a shopping experience our guests will love, and we’re excited to make so many of our hometown stores even easier to shop. At the same time, we’re adding new features that put the spotlight on the great assortment our guests can find at Target,” said Mark Schindele, senior vice president, Target Properties. “We’re always testing and learning in our stores here in the Twin Cities, so while these remodels will benefit our guests, they’ll also give us the opportunity to keep learning and adjusting.”
Guests who want a sneak peek at what’s to come in the Twin Cities can take a look at our updated Nicollet Mall flagship store in downtown Minneapolis—one of 110 stores we remodeled in 2017. Last year, we also went big in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, and our learnings there are already influencing the next wave of designs. For instance, we added nursing rooms in about 40 remodeled stores. Our guests were so appreciative of the space that we’re putting them in every remodeled store in 2018.
In 2018, we’ll complete about 325 additional remodels. While the Twin Cities will be our largest remodel market this year, we’ll also go big in places like Los Angeles, New York and Chicago. Over the next few years, we’ll remodel stores in every major city.
So what can guests expect when their favorite store gets a makeover? More of everything they love about Target. Our teams do their homework, tailoring each remodel to meet the specific needs of local guests, so no two remodels look exactly the same. We pull the best elements from our next-generation design to fit that neighborhood. And, we stay true to our sustainability efforts, continuing to add features like LED lighting and solar panels to many of our stores—efforts that have helped more than 80 percent of our stores become Energy Star certified.
It’s all about making shopping at Target even better, with music in the background, a modern design aesthetic across the store, and enhanced merchandise presentations, including areas that showcase trends and top-of-mind products for the season. Many stores will have features that help them get online orders to guests even faster, like a bigger Order Pickup counter or a Drive Up lane in the parking lot.
Our stores with two entrances will have each side designed for a specific purpose—one focused on ease (think curated grab-and-go grocery items and an Order Pickup counter for quick trips), the other on inspiration (with elevated product and brand displays that invite guests to browse and discover).
And not to worry, the stores stay open during the remodels, with team members on hand to help guests find everything they need as departments temporarily shift during the construction.
“It’s our store teams who truly bring these new shopping experiences to life for our guests,” said Joe Contrucci, senior vice president, stores. “So they’re prepped—and really excited—to provide exceptional service before, during and after the remodel.”
In fact, we have a legacy of investing in our team so they’re equipped to give our guests the best experience, even beyond our remodel program. We’ve dedicated hundreds of thousands of payroll hours to train our team in specialized roles at their stores and develop expertise to better serve our guests. And we raised our minimum hourly wage to $11 last year, with a commitment to increase it to $15 by the end of 2020.
Just like in any city, as we remodel our Twin Cities stores, our investments go beyond what happens in our buildings. We believe in being a good neighbor by supporting local families and organizations across the country where our teams live and work. For example, last year in the Twin Cities alone, we gave $29 million in grants and product donations, and our teams donated more than 80,000 volunteer hours in their neighborhoods. It’s just one way we bring our very best into each community.
Check back soon to learn more about our efforts to build a better, more modern Target for our guests.
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