Dive Brief:
- As holiday shopping ramps up, Target announced that it is more than doubling the number of dedicated Apple shops within its locations to 36 stores.
- Target initially opened 17 Apple shop-in-shops in February, promising to open more by the end of fall. The in-store Apple shops build on Target's 15-year-long partnership with the tech giant.
- Through the expansion, even more Target shoppers can gain access to Apple products at their local store. Buying Apple products at Target could also give consumers access to the mass merchant's same-day fulfillment services, 5% RedCard discount and its latest holiday price match guarantee.
Dive Insight:
In Target's quest to become a true one-stop shop, the retailer is now attempting to become a hub for tech products through its Apple partnership.
"The strength of our assortment of national and owned brands, the expertise of our team members and the incredible value we offer make Target an unmatched destination for electronics and accessories," Nikhil Nayar, senior vice president of hardlines at Target, said in a statement.
Though Apple products were already sold at Target before the collaboration, the shop-in-shops expanded the brand's offerings and footprint in some stores. The initial Apple stores at Target featured new lighting fixtures, displays for Apple's products and Apple-trained Target tech consultants.
Along with the news of the Apple expansion, Target also touted other electronic products and brands available in stores and online such as Nintendo, Xbox and PlayStation. The retailer also has its own electronic private label called Heyday.
Apart from Apple, Target also opened the first shop-in-shop locations for beauty retailer Ulta in August. The companies are planning to rollout a total of 800 Ulta Beauty at Target locations nationwide. The partnership allows shoppers to buy premium beauty brands like MAC Cosmetics, Morphe and Urban Decay during their Target runs.
In the toy category, Target is looking to solidify its place by tripling its Disney shop-in-shops to over 160 locations from the initial 25 it announced in 2019.
