Welcome to The Backroom, a window into what goes on behind the scenes as the Retail Dive team covers the stories and trends reshaping retail. You can check out all our podcast episodes (past and present) here and listen on Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio and Spotify.
Unlike other mass merchants with a value pitch to consumers, Target is rooted in American department store history. Minneapolis-based department store conglomerate Dayton-Hudson launched the discount chain in 1962, shrewdly anticipating the move toward off price and other lower-cost options.
Target’s “cheap chic” merchandising, which even executives refer to as “Tarzhay,” has often bolstered its fortunes.
But the retailer may be at a crossroads, with weaknesses where there once was strength. Join Retail Dive Reporters Daphne Howland and Dani James for a discussion about the mass retailer’s unique history, the ups and downs of its differentiation, and where it may be headed.
Resource links:
Editor’s note: This episode was produced and edited by Caroline Jansen.