TARGET

SHELTON, Conn. — Organic product purchases among consumers have been fairly consistent over the past three years, but more shoppers are looking to mass retailers to purchase such items.

MINNEAPOLIS — Target is opening 21 stores across 12 states, the retailer announced Tuesday.

Among the openings are five stores in California, a third store in Hawaii and a SuperTarget in Minnesota.

“Target takes great pride in designing stores that meet the needs of our guests and the communities we serve,” said John Griffith, Target EVP. “With the addition of an expanded fresh food assortment, our new stores will offer guests everything they need in one convenient location.”

MINNEAPOLIS — Two leaders of Target have been appointed to the retailer's executive committee.

Tina Schiel, SVP enterprise strategy and new business development, was promoted to EVP stores and will join the executive committee, while Laysha Ward, who will retain her position as Target's community relations president and Target Foundation president, also will join the executive committee.

MINNEAPOLIS — Despite an easy prior-year comparison, Target fell short of its December same-store sales guidance with a disappointing 0.9% gain.

The company forecasted December comps in the low to mid-single-digit range after it released November results, which saw comps advance 5.5%. Analysts were expecting the company to report a 4% December gain.

Supplier News — EcoTools once again is joining forces with actress Alicia Silverstone to introduce for the spring the revamped eco-conscious cosmetic bag and brush collection set dubbed EcoTools by Alicia Silverstone. The collection, which will launch April 2011, will feature three additions and three revised sets, and will be available at Walmart, Target and Walgreens.


NEW YORK — Target will kick off a new ad campaign in 2011 that makes a tongue-in-cheek, if not frank and honest, appeal to new parents, according to a report by AdAge.

“I just had a 20-minute conversation with a stranger about nipples,” reads one of the print ads, which the article noted are “meant to illustrate the chaos, humor and absurdness that are hallmarks of parenting.”

MINNETONKA, Minn. — More retailers have signed on for UnitedHealthcare's prescription savings program that caters to Medicare Part D members.

Target, H-E-B, Hy-Vee, Publix Super Markets, Food Lion, Bloom, Harveys and Sweetbay Supermarket have joined the insurance company's Pharmacy Saver program, which allows members to purchase some scripts for $2 for 30-day and some 90-day supplies, and applies to hundreds of prescription drugs, including 8-of-the-10 most commonly used by UnitedHealthcare Medicare plan members.

WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT — Target’s pharmacy division got a big boost early this month when the Industrial Designers Society of America named its ClearRx bottle for prescription drugs the Design of the Decade. The award — coupled with another J.D. Power customer satisfaction award earlier this year — are affirmation that the 1,752-store big-box giant is on the right track as it renews its niche in health and wellness.