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Public ()
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''Expect More Pay Less''
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1902 ( Minneapolis, MN )
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Minneapolis, Minnesota , USA
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Bob Ulrich , chairman and<br />chief executive officer
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Retail
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352,000 Corporate Fact Card (PDF) , Target Corporation, March 8, 2007
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Clothing, footwear, bedding, home decor, housewares, furniture, lawn and garden, jewelry, beauty products, electronics, sporting goods, and pet products
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wwwtargetcom (Online store)<br/ > wwwtargetcorpcom (Corporate)
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$59490 billion USD (2006) Target Corporation Fourth Quarter Earnings Per Share $129 , Target Corporation, February 27, 2007
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$2787 billion USD (2006)
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(), headquartered in . It sells more
Gift Cards than any other U.S. retailer and is the fifth largest U.S. seller of music.? Target operates its retailing business exclusively in the United States.
Target was listed in the Top 500 largest e-retailers Guide by Internet Retailer in 2007. This list also incorporated other retailers such as
Apple ,
Wal-Mart , and
PartStore.com .
Internet Retailer Top 500 Retail Web Sites . ''Internet Retailer'', 2007 edition. The company was formerly traded as Dayton Hudson. The company stock is a component of the Standard and Poor's 500 index.
See Also: Dayton's
The company's roots were founded when by opening its second Dayton's store in Southdale. In 1962, the first ''Target'' store was opened in
Roseville, Minnesota .
In 1962, the Dayton Company, using a concept developed by
John F. Geisse , entered discount merchandising by opening its first Target discount store in
Roseville, Minnesota , a suburb north of
Saint Paul . The name "Target" originated from Dayton's publicity director, Stewart K. Widdess, and was intended to prevent consumers from associating the new discount store chain with the department store. The new subsidiary, Target Stores, ended its first year with four units, all in the Minneapolis area. Target Stores lost money in its initial years; however, in 1965 it reported its first gain with sales reaching $39 million, allowing a fifth store to open in Minneapolis. In 1966, Bruce Dayton launched the
B. Dalton Bookseller specialty chain, which became the largest hardcover bookseller in the United States. The bookseller chain was named after the founder, but with the ''y'' in ''Dayton'' replaced with an ''l''. Target Stores expanded outside of Minneapolis by opening two stores in
Denver, Colorado , and sales exceeded $60 million. In 1967, the Dayton Corporation was established and it went public with its first offering of common stock, and it opened two more Target stores in Minnesota resulting in a total of nine units.
From Roseville to Greatland, Target still hits the mark , ''Discount Store News'', September 17, 1990.
In 1968, Target changed its bullseye logo to the one currently in use, and expanded into , Diamonds of
Phoenix, Arizona ,
Hudson's , John A. Brown of
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma , and
Lipmans . In 1970, Target Stores added seven new units, including two units in
Wisconsin , and the 24-unit chain reached $200 million in sales. That year, Dayton-Hudson also acquired the Team Electronics specialty chain that was headed by Stephen L. Pistner.
Ulrich moving up at DH: speculation mounts about naming a successor - Robert Ulrich becomes chairman of Dayton Hudson Corp , ''Discount Store News'', Richard Halverson, May 2, 1994.
is a single red ring with a red dot in the middle, and its
In 1971, it acquired sixteen stores from the Arlan's department store chain in and
Ames , was named chief executive officer of Target Stores, and Kenneth A. Macke was named Target Stores's senior vice president. The new management saved the chain by marking down merchandise to clean out its overstock and by allowing only one new unit to open that year. In 1975, it opened two stores, reaching 49 units in nine states and $511 million in sales. That year, the Target discount chain became the company's top revenue producer.
In 1976, Target opened four new units and reached $600 million in sales. That year, Kenneth Macke was promoted to president and chief executive officer of Target Stores. In 1977, Target Stores opened seven new units, and Stephen Pistner became president of Dayton Hudson, with Kenneth Macke succeeding him as chairman and chief executive officer of Target Stores. The senior vice president of Dayton Hudson, Bruce G. Allbright, moved to Target Stores and succeeded Kenneth Macke as president. In 1978, the company acquired , to a total of 151 units and $2.05 billion in sales.
store in
College Park, Georgia that was converted to a Target store in 1989, and replaced in 1995 with another Target in
Fayetteville, Georgia . Such acquisitions of existing retail property allowed Target to expand into different regions of the
United States . ]]
Since the launch of Target Stores to this point, it had focused its expansion in the chain with four units in the Los Angeles area, with an intended audience of middle-to-upper income women.
In 1984, it sold its Plums chain to
Ross Stores after only 11 months of operation, and it sold its Diamond's and John A. Brown department store chains to
Dillard's .
Plums fall doesn't cause too many shock waves , ''Discount Store News'', Sidney Rutberg, February, 1984.
Dayton Hudson, sour on Plums, sells its 11-month-old off-pricer , ''Discount Store News'', March 19, 1984.
Dayton-Hudson In Dillard Deal , ''The New York Times'', August 10, 1984. Meanwhile, Target Stores added nine new units to a total of 215 stores and $3.55 billion in sales. Floyd Hall left the company and Bruce Allbright succeeded him as chairman and chief executive officer of Target Stores. In May 1984, Bob Ulrich became president of the Dayton Hudson Department Store Division, and in December 1984 became president of Target Stores.
In late 1986, the company acquired 50
Gemco stores from
Lucky Stores in
California , allowing Target Stores to become the dominant retailer in
Southern California as the chain grew to a total of 246 units. It also opened a fifth distribution center in
Pueblo, Colorado . Dayton-Hudson sold the B. Dalton Bookseller chain of several hundred units to
Barnes & Noble . In 1987, the acquired Gemco units reopened as Target units, and Target Stores expanded into
Michigan and
Nevada , including six new units in
Detroit, Michigan , to compete directly against Detroit-based
Kmart , leading to a total of 317 units in 24 states and $5.3 billion in sales. Bruce Allbright became president of Dayton Hudson, and Bob Ulrich succeeded him as chairman and chief executive officer of Target Stores. In 1988, Target Stores expanded into the
Northwestern United States by opening eight units in
Washington and three in
Oregon , to a total of 341 units in 27 states. It also opened a distribution center in
Sacramento, California , and replaced the existing distribution center in
Indianapolis, Indiana , from the Ayr-Way acquisition with a new one.
In 1989, it expanded by 60 units, especially in the
Southeastern United States where it entered
Florida ,
Georgia ,
North Carolina , and
South Carolina to a total of 399 units in 30 states with $7.51 billion in sales. This included an acquisition of 31 more stores from
Federated Department Stores '
Gold Circle and
Richway chains in Florida, Georgia, and North Carolina, which were later reopened as Target stores. It also sold its Lechmere chain that year to a group of investors including Berkshire Partners, a leveraged buy-out firm based in
Boston, Massachusetts , eight Lechmere executives, and two local shopping mall executives.
In 1990, it acquired
Marshall Field's from
BATUS Inc. and Target Stores opened its first
Target Greatland general merchandise superstore in
Apple Valley, Minnesota . In 1991, Target Stores had opened 43 Target Greatland units, and sales reached $9.01 billion. In 1992, it created a short-lived chain of apparel
Specialty Store s called Everyday Hero with two stores in Minneapolis. They attempted to compete against other apparel specialty stores such as
GAP by offering
Private Label apparel such as its Merona brand. In 1994, Kenneth Macke left the company, and Bob Ulrich succeeded him as the new chairman of Dayton-Hudson.
In 1995, Target Stores opened its first ,
1999 , it relaunched its Target.com website as an
E-commerce site and as part of its discount retail division. The site initially offered merchandise that differentiated its stores from its competitors, such as its
Michael Graves brand.
Target may step up NE rollouts; debuts long-awaited e-tail site , ''Discount Store News'', September 20, 1999.
In January 2000, Dayton Hudson Corporation changed its name to Target Corporation and its ticker symbol to TGT; by then, between 75 percent and 80 percent of the corporation's total sales and earnings came from Target Stores while the other four chains—, it announced that its Dayton's and Hudson's stores would operate under the Marshall Field's brand, which was the most recognizable name in the Department Stores Division. Target Stores expanded into
Maine , reaching 1053 units in 47 states and $33.0 billion in sales.
[
"2000 report"> Target Corporation 2000 Annual Report , ''Target Corporation''. Target Corporation 2001 Annual Report , ''Target Corporation''. In 2002, it expanded to 1147 units and sales reached $37.4 billion, and in 2003 it reached 1225 units and $42.0 billion in sales.]
On March 10 , 2004 , Target Corporation announced it had hired Goldman Sachs Group to analyze options for selling its Marshall Field's and Mervyns chains of Department Store s. Three months later, on June 9 , 2004 , Target Corporation announced its sale of the Marshall Field's chain and several Mervyns stores to St. Louis, Missouri -based May Department Stores , which became effective July 31 , 2004 . On July 21 , 2004 , it announced the sale of Mervyns to an investment consortium including Sun Capital Partners, Inc. , Cerberus Capital Management , L.P., Lubert-Adler/ Klaff and Partners, L.P., which was finalized September 2 . Target Stores expanded to 1308 units and reached $46.8 billion USD in sales. In 2005, it reached 1397 units and $52.6 billion in sales, and in 2006 it expanded to 1488 units and sales reached $59.4 billion.
. Target Lights create evolving Minneapolis landmark , ''Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal'', April 11, 2003.]]
Today, Target Corporation has its headquarters on Nicollet Mall in Minneapolis, near the site of the original Goodfellows store. It operates its main retail subsidiary, Target Stores, under the banner of 'Target'. The company owns several other subsidiaries, which include:
- : issues Target's credit cards, known as the Target REDcard, consisting of the Target VISA and the Target Card (formerly the Target Guest Card), issued through Target National Bank (formerly Retailers National Bank) for consumers and through Target Bank for businesses. Target Financial Services also oversees GiftCard balances.
- : This global sourcing organization locates merchandise from around the world for Target and helps import the merchandise to the United States. Such merchandise include garments, furniture, bedding, and towels. TSS/AMC has 27 full-service offices, 48 quality-control offices, and seven commissionaires located throughout the world. TSS/AMC employs 1,200 people. Its engineers are responsible for evaluating the factories that do business with Target Corporation for quality, as well as labor rights and transshipment issues. Vendor Compliance , Target Corporation. It was acquired by Target Corporation in 1998, and was founded in , Bloomingdale's , Stage Stores Inc. , TJ Maxx , and Marshalls . The Target Sourcing Services division locates merchandise exclusively for Target Stores and Target.com.
- : provides design-services and furniture for office space. Currently, Target Commercial Interiors has an unusually high market share of Fortune 500/1000 business customers, and are expanding to attract small to medium sized businesses, as well as home offices. This subsidiary has six showrooms in Illinois , Minnesota , and Wisconsin , including a first-of-its-kind retail concept store and showroom in Bloomington, Minnesota that opened on June 23 , 2005 .
- : owns and oversees the company's Private Label products, including the grocery brands Archer Farms and Market Pantry, Sutton & Dodge, their premium meat line, and the electronics brand Trutech. In addition, Bullseye Dog is a trademark, and the Bullseye Design and 'Target' are registered trademarks of Target Brands.
- : owns and oversees the company's E-commerce initiatives, such as the Target.com domain. Founded in early 2000 as target.direct, it was formed by separating the company's existing e-commerce operations from its retailing division, and combining it with its Rivertown Trading direct marketing unit into a stand-alone subsidiary. In 2002, target.direct and Amazon.com 's subsidiary Amazon Enterprise Solutions created a partnership where Amazon.com would provide order fulfilment and guest services for Target.com in exchange for fixed and variable fees. This electronic commerce relationship between target.direct and Amazon Enterprise Solutions will last until August 2010. Target and Amazon.com Expand Online Target Store , The Write News, August 21, 2002. Target Corporation and Amazon Enterprise Solutions Extend E-Commerce Agreement to 2010 , Target Corporation, July 18, 2006. After the company sold Marshall Field's and Mervyns in 2004, target.direct became Target.com.
Target Corporation's main retailing subsidiary, , is a United States discount , Hawaii , and Vermont , operating under the mastheads of Target, Target Greatland, and SuperTarget. The chain was founded by Douglas J. Dayton and John Geisse , and the first Target store "T-1" opened on May 1 , 1962 in Roseville, Minnesota . That store was closed and demolished on January 8 , 2005 , to make room for a SuperTarget, which opened on October 9 of the same year. Target to open two new SuperTargets in Twin Cities , ''Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal'', October 20, 2004. Target Corporation has aggressive plans to have 2,000 stores open by the year 2010, 2005 Annual Report (PDF) , Target Corporation. including expanding to Alaska and Hawaii. Wasilla Target store no longer a rumor , ''The Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman'', Russell Stigall, March 30, 2007. Target plans expansion to Hawaii , ''Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal'', February 13, 2006.
Target's retail operations are limited to the United States. Aside from the leased name and logo, the Australian Retail Chain Of The Same Name is not related to Target Corporation.
is a chain of Discount Department Store s that are about 95,000 to 135,000 square feet (12,000 m&2) and carry hardlines ("regular" products and goods), softlines (clothing), and a limited amount of groceries, usually non-perishable. Specifically, Target stores carry clothing, shoes, jewelry, health and beauty products, electronics, compact discs, DVD s, bedding, kitchen supplies, sporting goods, toys, pet supplies, automotive supplies, hardware supplies, and food. They also carry seasonal merchandise such as patio furniture during the summer and Christmas decorations during November and December. Many stores may also have one-hour photo processing, a portrait studio, an optical store, a Pharmacy , and a garden center. Stores opened and re-modeled in 2004 or later also include the expanded snack bar that is featured in Target Greatland locations. These generally include a Starbucks Coffee shop, a Pizza Hut Express , and a Taco Bell Express in addition to Target's ''Food Avenue''. It has also been reported that Cold Stone Creamery and Target have signed a deal to test in-store ice cream shops in four stores. Cold Stone Creamery to Open Test Stores in Target , Chain Store Age, May 5, 2006.
The first few Target stores included leased supermarkets in addition to general merchandise, which during the time was a common practice by discount retailers as they attempted to offer a one-stop shopping experience to customers. Douglas Dayton stated in 1967 that "we believe that the discount-grocery store is a necessary ingredient in what we offer the customer. After all, food sales are about 40% of all department store-type merchandise sales, so the two kinds of stores go hand-in-hand and are what people think of when they think of a discount store." However, by the end of the decade, Target started moving away from this general merchandise and leased supermarket practice. In 1969, Target opened its first store consisting of only general merchandise.
In the past, the one-hour photo processing labs were not owned by Target, but by for online photo services, including ordering prints online for one-hour store pickup.
, New Jersey . Unlike smaller Target stores, Target Greatlands feature double entrances.]]
is a chain of general merchandise Superstore s that are about 150,000 square feet (14,000 m&2). They carry a larger selection of general merchandise than a basic Target store; however, they do not have a full-line of groceries like Meat , Bakery , Deli , Produce and Dairy . The first Target Greatland opened in Apple Valley, Minnesota , in 1990, but has since been remodeled and expanded, becoming a SuperTarget. Throughout 2005, the company reorganized the sales floor, allowing them to double the grocery space they had before. Prominent features include double entrances on single level stores along with an expanded snack bar. The snack bar may include a Pizza Hut Express , Taco Bell Express , and/or a Starbucks . The construction of new Target Greatland stores has been phased out in favor of building SuperTarget prototypes or regular Target prototypes with expanded sales floors. The last Target Greatland opened in 2006 and is located in Staten Island , New York City .
, Utah . Shown is the merchandise loading lane between the double entrances on the front of the building.]]
is a chain of Hypermarket s that are about 175,000 square ft. (16,000 m&2). Like Target Greatland, SuperTarget features double entrances on one story stores; some also have between the double entrances a merchandise loading lane as a prominent feature of the building. The store logo often spells "Super" in green cursive, but recently, newer ones are signed in red block letters in the Helvetica font that the word "Target" uses. They carry everything a Target or a Target Greatland does as well as a Grocery Store . Many SuperTargets may also feature a Starbucks Coffee shop, a Pizza Hut Express , a Taco Bell Express ,(which is currently being phased out at SuperTarget locations) Jamba Juice , a Pharmacy , a portrait studio, a one-hour photo processing lab, an optical store, or a Wells Fargo Bank . Unlike many other hypermarkets in the United States (such as Wal-Mart Supercenter s and Meijer ), SuperTargets are not open twenty four hours.
- TRADE" class="copylinks">E---TRADE trading station instead of a Wells Fargo Bank. However, in June 2003, E---TRADE decided to remove all E---TRADE branches from their SuperTarget locations E-Trade closes trading stations , ''San Francisco Business Times'', June 6, 2003. without advance notice. This sudden move was not initiated by Target Corporation. Mitchell Caplan, E---TRADE's CEO, said that "We were not able to make it into a profitable distribution channel...[w]e're better off exiting." E---TRADE also sent a letter of notification to their customers informing them about this change.
The first SuperTarget opened in , 2007 , Target operated 182 SuperTarget stores in 21 U.S. State s.
, downtown Minneapolis target, two stories with a varied facade to mimic multiple buildings; the tower in the background is Target Corp. headquarters.]]
While many Target stores share a fairly common Big-box Store layout, the company has been known to be flexible with its designs. Target operates unique stores across the country in urban locations or within a mall where a standard one story building would not be feasible. These stores encompass multiple floors with both sales floor area and off stage areas such as offices or storage rooms spanning a number of these floors. Vertical transportation is provided in the store by Escalator , Elevator , or Vermaport , a specialized escalator for carts. Target currently operates 34 multi-level stores.
Target has used their urban store concept to open multiple story stores in city centers such as and Younkers stores. On the Bull's Eye , ''Buildings Magazine'', June 2003.
As of January 4 , 2007 , Target Corporation operated 25 distribution centers across the United States . Target opened two new distribution centers in 2006 ( Rialto, California and DeKalb, Illinois ) to support the growth of its stores. With the exception of vendor supplied items, such as greeting cards and soda, these distribution centers ship items directly to Target stores. Also, unlike Wal-Mart, Target's grocery selection does not come from their own distribution centers, but from the companies that Target has partnered up with. For example, the produce carried in SuperTargets comes from Supervalu distribution centers, except in Colorado, which are serviced through FreshPack Produce Inc., of Denver Colorado.
The retail chain's first distribution center opened in Fridley, Minnesota , in 1969. It included a computerized distribution system and was known as the Northern Distribution Center. During this time, the chain consisted of seventeen stores after having expanded into Oklahoma and Texas .
On August 9 , 2004 , Target announced to their suppliers that they were going to perform a trial on the effects of Radio Frequency Identification on the efficiency of Supply Chain Management in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex . This trial involved one Target distribution center and ten nearby Target stores. Here, RFID tags would be placed on the bar codes of pallets and cartons to track the goods from the suppliers to the distribution center, and from the distribution center to the stores. Target Meets With Suppliers About RFID Plans , InformationWeek, August 10, 2004.
Target Corporation competes directly against other discount retailers, mainly Wal-Mart and Kmart . Since its founding in 1962, it has intended to differentiate its stores from its competitors by offering what it believes is more upscale, trend-forward merchandise at low cost, as opposed to the traditional concept of focusing on low-priced goods. Douglas J. Dayton, one of the Dayton brothers, explained John Geisse's concept:
As a result, Target stores tend to attract younger and more educated and affluent customers than its competitors. Currently, the Median Target shopper is 41 years old, which is the youngest of all major discount retailers that Target competes directly against. The median household income of Target's customer base is roughly $58,000 USD . Roughly eighty percent of Target customers are female, and about 43 percent have children at home. About eighty percent have attended college and 43 percent have completed college.
Target refers to itself as a "discount store, located near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport is one such Target unit, as is the Rosemont, Illinois store next to O'Hare International Airport . Target on roof top via Google Maps. Accessed January 2007.
Some of Target's fans jokingly refer to a Target store as "Tar-zhay" or Targé (Tar-jé) ( word, a reference to its more upscale image compared to its competitors. This trend is incorrectly believed to have been started by Oprah Winfrey , when she used the French pronunciation to refer to the store on her television show. The pronunciation has been traced back to 1962, the year the first Target store opened. This pronunciation has also led some people to incorrectly believe that the company is French-owned.
Target calls its customers "guests", its employees "team members", and its supervisors "team leaders". It derived this practice in 1989 from The Walt Disney Company .
Target stores do not sell and FHM .
Target has many exclusive deals with various designers, including and Kmart have followed Target's lead by signing exclusive designers to their stores as well. Target also partners with well-established national brands to create exclusive collections for its stores. Recently, Sony created a line of electronics under the Sony LIV name geared towards women. The collection included a CD player that resembled a purse, and a CD player that was equipped to be mounted under the kitchen counter. Another example of this is Target having an exclusive deal with Food Network for selling DVDs of TV shows featuring popular chefs such as Rachael Ray , Alton Brown , and Paula Deen . In July 2006, Target started selling two-tone pink edition Apple IPod s through a partnership with Colorware . Sometimes manufacturers will create red-colored items, exclusively for Target. In 2002, Nintendo produced a red Special Edition Variant of the Game Boy Advance , which featured the Target logo above the screen. Target Gets Exclusive New GBA Color! , ''Nintendo World Report'', Billy Berghammer, November 25, 2002.
The Target GiftCard is the retailing division's , "scratch and sniff" (such as peppermint during the Christmas season), Glow In The Dark , LED light-up, a gift card on the side of a Bubble Blower , a gift card that can function as a CD-ROM , and even a giftcard that allows the sender to record a voice message. A current environmentally friendly giftcard is made from Bioplastic manufactured from corn. Target's Bioplastic Gift Card , treehugger, January 31, 2006. Target rolled out a new MP3 Player giftcard for the 2006 holiday season. It holds 12 songs and must be purchased with an initial value of at least $50.
Many of these design ideas are not used by any other retailer in the United States. It is noted that some of these unique design ideas are , 2006 .: Stored-value card with edible product, U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. Both of these patents have been assigned to Target Brands, Inc.
See Also: ClearRx
In 2005, Target introduced a major revision of ''Most Amazing Inventions of 2005.'' Best Inventions 2005: Healthy Options , ''Time'', November 21, 2005.
Target Corporation is consistently ranked as one of the most philanthropic companies in the country. According to a November through this program. Target's corporate by-laws state it must give 5 percent of its pre-tax profits to charity.
Further evidence of Target's philanthropy can be found in the Target House complex in Memphis, Tennessee , a long-term housing solution for families of patients at the city's St. Jude Children's Research Hospital . The corporation led the way with more than $27 million in donations, which made available 96 fully furnished apartments for families needing to stay at St. Jude over 90 days.
Target has a standard no-solicitation rule at its properties, as it seeks to provide a "distraction-free shopping experience for its guests." Exemptions to this policy were previously made for the Salvation Army red kettles and bell-ringers outside Target stores during the holidays through Christmas. In 2004 , however, Target asked the organization to explore alternate methods to partner with Target. Target donates to local Salvation Army chapters through its grant program and annually to the United Way Of America (the Salvation Army is a member of the United Way coalition).
In 2005, Target and the Salvation Army Target and The Salvation Army Announce Partnership , The Salvation Army, November 14, 2005. created a joint effort called "The Target/Salvation Army Wish List," where online shoppers could donate goods to the organization for Hurricane victims by buying them directly from Target.com between to send several families on a shopping spree the morning of Black Friday . The challenge held that if Blaine could successfully work his way out of a spinning gyroscope by the morning of Black Friday, then several families would receive $500 shopping certificates. The challenge was completed successfully by Blaine.
During disasters, Target has been a major benefactor for relief efforts. Target provided monetary and product donations during the September 11th Terrorist Attacks on the U.S. ; it also donated money for relief efforts for the 2004 Tsunami in South Asia. Most recently, Target donated $1.5 million ( U.S. ) to the American Red Cross in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. It also allowed its store properties in the affected area to be used as command centers for relief organizations. It also donated supplies such as water and bug spray. Besides these major disasters, Target also regularly lends support to disasters that are not as well known or only affect a regional area.
In 2006, '' services to law enforcement agencies across the country. Target's Forensic Services has assisted agencies at all levels of government, including Federal agencies such as the United States Secret Service , Bureau Of Alcohol, Tobacco And Firearms and the Federal Bureau Of Investigation . The labs have become such a popular resource for law enforcement that Target has had to restrict the cases it assists in to only violent Felonies . Retailer Target Branches Out Into Police Work , ''The Washington Post'', January 29, 2006. Target sets sights on hard-to-crack cases , CNN, February 9, 2006.
Like many other large businesses and corporations, Target faces criticism. But because of Target's smaller size in comparison to Wal-Mart, Target often escapes the headlines that Wal-Mart's critics generate. Also, many may overlook Target's alleged shortcomings because of its charitable generosity. Practices that cause some concern include lack of a Living Wage certification, lack of Labor Unions , and Target's contribution to Urban Sprawl . Just call it 'Teflon' Target , CNN/Money, April 20, 2005.
In 2002, the company was alerted to sporting caps and shorts having the number "88" embroidered on them. This number has been used by known White Supremacist groups as slang for " Heil Hitler ." A customer informed the company of the offensive merchandise. Target did not make a public apology until the Southern Poverty Law Center echoed its concern. Target pulled the merchandise from its stores and issued a public apology. Target pulls '88' clothing from stores , ''Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal'', August 28, 2002.
In 2004, the company's decision to bar the Salvation Army from soliciting donations at its stores generated much negative publicity (see '' Philanthropy '' section above).
In 2005, Planned Parenthood protested Target policy involving a Conscience Clause that allows pharmacists to refuse to dispense the emergency contraceptive, Plan B Levonorgestrel , based on religious beliefs as long as the employee ensures that the prescription is filled by another pharmacist in a timely manner. Defenders of Target applaud the company for upholding the employee's Freedom Of Conscience , while critics feel this policy fails to uphold the pharmacist's Duty Of Care .Birth-control battle at Target; Planned Parenthood and Target Corp. dispute whose rights are more important: Customers who need emergency contraception or pharmacists who think it's immoral to provide it. ''Star Tribune''. November 11, 2005.
In November 2005, the American Family Association criticized Target and other retailers for not using the word "Christmas" in its Holiday Advertising . Target responded by introducing words like "Christmas" and " Hannukah " on its website and in-store signage, and by showing holiday ads that included the phrase " Merry Christmas ". Merry Christmas Target , Snopes.com, December 9, 2005. Target 2006 TV commercial "Merry Christmas" 1 , YouTube.com.
In 2007, Chris Serres (a staff writer at the Star Tribune) found that Target employees wearing the Hijab scarf at the location on East Lake Street in Minneapolis refused to touch pork products. This was a journalistic investigation based on reports from other sources. Some Muslim workers at Target refuse to handle pork
In July 2007, Target Corportation was fined $120,000 by the United States Environmental Protection Agency for selling outlawed, aerosol confetti string. The EPA said that the fine stemmed from Minneapolis-based Target's sale of Horrible Spooky String, a children's sprayable confetti product that violates the Clean Air Act because it contains banned Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFC). Such chemicals deplete the ozone layer and their sale or distribution in "non-essential" products has been prohibited in the United States. Target fined $120,000 for 'Spooky String'
Target defines diversity as individuality. The company state this individuality may include a wide spectrum of attributes such as personal style, age, race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, language, physical ability, religion, family, citizenship status, socio-economic circumstances, education and life experiences. Diversity Statement , Target Corporation.
The Target employee diversity program is called "The Strength of Many. The Power of One." Target Diversity Website , Target Corporation. It specifically seeks to work with vendors and contractors that are owned by minorities or women. Supplier Diversity: Minority and Women Business Development Program , Target Corporation.
It has long extended domestic-partner benefits to straight, gay, and lesbian employees. It has received an 86 on the Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index Score. Target Corp. , The Human Rights Campaign. In addition, Target Corporation was named one of the "100 Best Companies for Working Mothers" in 2004 by ''Working Mother''.
Despite Target's stated commitment to diversity, the National Association For The Advancement Of Colored People has repeatedly given Target failing grades on its annual Economic Reciprocity Initiative report card, a measure of the company's "commitment to the African-American citizenry". In 2003 and 2005, the NAACP has rated Target an "F" on this report; in 2004, Target was rated a "D-". 2004 NAACP General Merchandising Industry Report Card (PDF) , National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. NAACP 2005 Industry Surveys Give Five Major Industries "C" and "D" Grades , National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. 2005 NAACP General Merchandising Industry Report Card (PDF) , National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. In 2006, when Target was asked why it didn't participate in the survey again, 2006 General Merchandising Industry Report Card , National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. a representative explained, "Target views diversity as being inclusive of all people from all different backgrounds, not just one group." NAACP Issues Corporate Report Cards , ''The Associated Press'', July 18, 2006.
Target owns the naming rights to the Target Center in Minneapolis . It also sponsors the NASCAR and IndyCar racing teams of Chip Ganassi Racing . In the 2005 NASCAR season, the #41 Chip Ganassi Target car was driven by Casey Mears ; for the 2006 season, rookie Reed Sorenson took over the #41 when Mears moved to a different Chip Ganassi car on the same team.
Target Corporation is also a major sponsor of the annual Minneapolis Aquatennial , where it hosts the Target Fireworks Show. It is the largest annual fireworks show west of the Mississippi River , and the fourth largest annual fireworks show in the United States . Target Fireworks Show , ''2007 Minneapolis Aquatennial''.
Target also sponsors the Museum Of Modern Art in Manhattan, New York . It hosts Target Free Friday Nights, providing to all visitors free admission to the museum during Fridays after 4 p.m. A similar Target-sponsored program at the Los Angeles County Museum Of Art called "Free after Five" provides free admission in the evening throughout the week. Tuesdays are free at the Museum Of Contemporary Art in Chicago , Illinois , courtesy of Target. In its hometown of Minneapolis, Target sponsors the Target Free Thursday Nights at the Walker Art Center , where admission is free after 4 p.m.
Target is the founding sponsor of the Weekend America radio program, and the Oprah Winfrey Show on TV.
Target often supports major awards shows such as the Oscars , Emmys , Grammys , and the Golden Globes .
