Target will open 17 Apple mini-stores inside its stores this month, with the intention of expanding them to other locations.
Aim
Target wants to give shoppers another reason to skip mall trips: it adds Apple mini stores in some locations, with more space dedicated to iPhones and other popular gadgets.
The retailer said on Thursday that stores will open in 17 Target stores this month and plans to expand to more locations in the fall. Target already sells Apple products, but stores will double the technology company’s footprint inside each store, include more accessories, and have trained staff from Apple. The brand’s products also have a new look on the Target website.
Chief Growth Officer Christina Hennington said the dedicated area will attract customers’ attention and make the sales floor more experiential. She will also have videos and displays that are more appealing, she said.
“When we have something very compelling and different, whether it’s an assortment, the way the experience is put together or the service – which is an important component of what we’re talking about with the Apple experience – it attracts our guests, who then drive traffic and, of course, sales on time, “she said.
In a statement, Apple said the company is looking forward to “continuing to work with Target for exciting new ways to serve in-store and online customers.”
For some consumers, stopping at Target stores has taken the place of several-hour shopping trips to several retailers during the pandemic. The retailer recorded a significant increase in sales, as it remained open as a key retailer in the first part of the global health crisis and then capitalized on the comfort with its wide range of goods, boarding and third-party delivery service Shipt.
This translated into $ 6 billion in market share gains at the end of the third quarter, the company said, citing third-party and internal research. And the price of his shares has risen. At the close on Wednesday, target stocks rose about 64 percent in the past year. Its market value is $ 93.68 billion.
After the huge quarterly gains, the discounter will face challenging comparisons. Consumers could return to old habits as the pandemic subsides, such as returning to more stores instead of consolidating trips to Target. Some investors have already become skeptical about stocks that have benefited from home stay trends. The company plans to report fourth-quarter earnings and host a virtual investor day on Tuesday.
Target leaders said they can support the upward trajectory by taking sales from struggling retailers and offering unique goods that grab customers’ attention and more from their budgets. It has launched private labels, such as the All in Motion athleisure line and limited-length collections with beloved brands such as Lilly Pulitzer and Hunter.
He also tried Disney stores in some stores and presented Levi’s jeans and clothing in a dedicated area. It will open hundreds of discounted Ulta Beauty stores at the end of this year, with clean and trained products in the field of makeup and skin care.
With the latest “store to store”, Target will present Apple – a brand that attracts shoppers and a regular meeting place in malls. It will resemble the company’s technology stores with new lighting and low tables, where customers can try Apple products.
It will not have an Apple trademark – “Genius Bar” – where customers can benefit from concierge technical assistance. Hennington said Target did not rule out adding this in the future.
Hennington refused to share the financial terms of the transaction. She said she had been in talks with Apple about the idea for months and worked with the technology company to choose store locations.
She said technology has played a central role this year in keeping people safe and having fun. She said the retailer considers it a growth category, mainly due to Apple’s consequences among customers.
Sales in the Target electronics category increased by 50% in the third quarter and by more than 20% in the holiday season, compared to the same period a year earlier.
Nearly a decade ago, the retailer tested a concept to feature Apple in some more prominent display stores, but the company said the new effort is a separate strategy and goes far beyond changing signage.
Here is a list of the top 17 target locations that Apple stores will have:
- Monticello, Minn.
- San Jose, California.
- the city of Oklahoma
- Allen, Texas
- Hurst, Texas
- Austin, Texas
- Irving, Texas
- San Antonio
- Gainesville, Florida.
- Orlando, Florida.
- Clearwater, Florida.
- Miami
- North Wales, Pa.
- Newark, Del.
- Woburn, Mass.
- Nashua, NH
- Latham, NY