{"id":211,"date":"2022-05-08T07:00:25","date_gmt":"2022-05-08T07:00:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/onemonthinmurphy.tracktwo.us\/?p=211"},"modified":"2022-05-08T23:55:14","modified_gmt":"2022-05-08T23:55:14","slug":"explained-the-target-experience","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/onemonthinmurphy.tracktwo.us\/index.php\/2022\/05\/08\/explained-the-target-experience\/","title":{"rendered":"EXPLAINED: The Target Experience"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

How Target gets you to Expect More but only makes it seem like you Pay Less.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Clear correlation between quality of shopping experience and prices rather than quality of clothes and prices <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Have you ever blacked out in a Target? It\u2019s happened to the best of us. Whether you\u2019re a loyal Target shopper or it\u2019s just the most likely to have the 2-3 items you need, you find yourself in a Target. You\u2019ve walked under the massive set of red concentric circles and passed through the sliding doors. You lay your eyes on that irresistible dollar section,only to be neatly directed into the alluring beauty department, when across the aisle you spot the cutest effing sweater you\u2019ve ever seen. Next thing you know, you\u2019re walking to your car with two full plastic bags and a receipt longer than your arm. You wonder how a list of only shampoo and conditioner could turn into a whole new set of porch cushions, a pair of shoes, a reusable water bottle, 2 sweaters, wireless headphones, and an airfryer. Despite normally being quite responsible or frugal with your money, you may feel swindled by how easily you give in to the excellent marketing of their products. But even then, in that moment of shame, you\u2019re immediately comforted by the justification that these products are worth it, and you\u2019re not the only one. This semblance of high quality is what puts Target into a category all on its own. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Target\u2019s slogan of \u201cExpect More. Pay Less\u201d perfectly captures their ability to market themselves as a store that sells high quality products for an affordable price. However, like many retail slogans, the followthrough of their promise is questionable. While they stock a combination of fan favorite name brand products and in-house Target brands, it can be argued that the quality can be found in the shopping experience rather than the products themselves. In a HuffPost article<\/a> by Caroline Bologna, the appeal of shopping at Target is broken down into a few key elements. Bologna points out that Target’s most dedicated fans are parents as displayed by the endless mommy blogs found all over the internet, and for them, shopping at Target is like an escape from the chaos of being a parent. Beyond the bright, clean layout of the store, the convenience of being able to stock the whole house in one shopping trip is a relief, not to mention all the sections marketed directly towards women between the ages of 18-44. But on top of all of that, Target’s promise of quality comes almost exclusively from it\u2019s excellent visual merchandising. In Target’s Abington location, you\u2019ll notice that almost the entire first floor is taken up by sections of beauty products, womens apparel, shoes, swimwear, intimates, and accessories. Knowing their primary customer, Target makes sure that as soon as you enter you\u2019re offered both low cost products and perfectly curated micro trends. The aisles are wide and well lit, the bright red and white color scheme creates a bouncy atmosphere and the smell of Starbucks coffee wafting from the cafe all add to the ambiance of high quality. It\u2019s no wonder people lose their senses and overspend in that type of space!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To take a closer look at Target’s irresistible charm, I spoke to a former Target employee to gain some insight on how they establish such a loyal customer base. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bob Seefried worked for Target on and off between the years of 2017 and 2020. He shared with me some employee protocol such as only referring to customers as \u201cGuests\u201d; using the word \u2018customer\u2019 was strictly prohibited; \u201cYou would get in trouble if you referred to the shoppers as customers; it\u2019s always a guest.\u201d The job titles of the employees also run in the same vein; a cashier is a \u201cguest advocate\u201d and a manager is a \u201cService and Engagement Team Leader\u201d. By extending that guest-centered mindset to the purpose of the employees, they solidify their manifesto of high expectations. Then there\u2019s the simple trick of putting all seasonal decor in the very back so even a once-a-season shop can result in big spending. Seefried also noted that he became familiar with Target regulars whom he said he\u2019d see at least once a week if not every other week. They\u2019d always happily make the same joke about how they came in \u201cfor just one thing\u201d even though both the employees and the guest know damn well the receipt will always reflect otherwise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Target started in Minneapolis in the 1960s, by 1999 Target.com had established their stake in the eCommerce market before most other retailers. Today there\u2019s around 2,000 Targets spanning every US state. In fact 75% of Americans live within a ten mile radius of a Target. Take the Philadelphia area as an example. There are 7 different Target locations within a ten mile radius of Arcadia University (located in the Philadelphia suburb of Glenside). Within an  hours drive of the campus, you can find 20 target locations and you\u2019ll find plenty more along the major highways going in and out of the city. On Arcadia\u2019s campus, I brought up Target with friends and classmates, the response of which was always a resounding YES. Their replies are littered with phrases like \u201cbetter than Walmart ”, \u201ccan\u2019t help myself\u201d, \u201cI just like being in there\u201d, and \u201cthey have everything I need\u201d. Within the city itself, Target has opened three of their new small-format stores within the last five years. Normally, one of these big box stores opening in urban communities can threaten the existing business, but Target has actually brought a huge increase of shoppers to the surrounding vicinities and Target continues to challenge what we think of as a Big Box store. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When it comes down to it, Target doesn\u2019t need to worry about whether or not their in-house brands stand the test of time because their shopping experience proves itself time and time again. Even if Target products lose their sparkle once we\u2019ve left the store and our money has left our bank accounts, they\u2019ve mastered the ability to induce that retail dopamine rush, just by stepping inside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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