Target's 'Express' format a move in the right direction

Target is looking to open a new, smaller — much smaller — store in the base of an apartment building currently under construction near the University of Minnesota campus that will serve as a test for the new format dubbed TargetExpress, the New York Times has reported.



Clearly, the trend toward smaller continues. First it was Walmart Express and then CityTarget’s 80,000- to 125,000-sq.-ft. footprint, and now the even tinier TargetExpress. In fact, taking a look back at DSN’s “12 for 2012” story, which examined trends and issues impacting retail pharmacy in 2012, smaller formats were highlighted as one trend to watch. Obviously, it’s still one to watch.



These smaller formats are not only incredibly convenient for consumers but, as DSN noted back in 2012, they are attractive for retailers looking to further meet the needs of consumers residing in “food deserts.”



This smaller TargetExpress format, which is scheduled to open in late summer, is a move in the right direction for Target in meeting consumers’ needs — especially by offering a mix of grocery and health and beauty — in the midst of its cyber woes.