Dive Brief:
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By October, the 14 CityTarget and TargetExpress stores in various cities will be renamed simply “Target,” the company announced Tuesday.
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The retailer is staying with its new variety of formats and sizes of stores, which it’s been experimenting with, especially in urban areas, lately. But SuperTargets, which also include extensive grocery offerings, will keep their name.
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The move is meant to keep things simple for customers and to keep channels and store formats blurred: “Big or small, our stores have one thing in common: They’re all Target,” the retailer said on its blog, The Bullseye View.
Dive Insight:
It’s almost like Target nipped this one in the bud—calling a Target store CityTarget just because it’s located in the city doesn’t make a lot of sense. A lot of CityTargets are very much like their big-box cousins in the suburbs. And while Target Express stores are smaller, it definitely makes sense from a branding standpoint to keep things simple and fortify the brand with one name. And it goes for online as well, Target spokeswoman Erika Winkels told the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
“It’s about a simplified experience for our guests,” Winkels said. “It also helps guests understand that you’re not only limited to what’s in the four walls of that store.”