Dive Brief:
- In its latest collaboration, Target partnered with clothing brand Rowing Blazers for its fall designer collection, the retailer announced on Thursday.
- Priced mostly between $5 and $30, the limited-time collection will feature clothing, accessories, home goods, pet and outdoor play products for adults and kids. Rowing Blazers was founded in 2017 by Jack Carlson, World Championships bronze medalist in rowing and a former U.S. national team rower.
- The retailer will release the collection in select Target stores and online on Sept. 23, the company said.
Dive Insight:
With its Rowing Blazers partnership, Target is continuing its tradition of brand collaborations. Earlier this year, the retailer partnered with three female-founded brands for a limited edition collection: Agua Bendita, Fe Noel and Rhode.
Similarly, the retailer said it aims to showcase Rowing Blazers’ aesthetic to its customers “for a fraction of the price.”
“For nearly 25 years, Target has partnered with some of the biggest and brightest names in the industry, bringing guests on-trend designs at an incredible value,” Jill Sando, executive vice president and chief merchandising officer of Target, said in a statement. “This fall, we’re teaming up with Rowing Blazers, a brand known for putting a fresh, colorful twist on American classics.”
Target’s designer collaborations are part of its efforts to broaden its affordable product assortment. Earlier this year, the retailer unveiled its strategic investment plan to fuel growth, including having more items priced between $3 and $15. The retailer also said it aims to open roughly 20 new stores in multiple formats and add Apple and Ulta Beauty shop-in-shops.
In its Q1 2023 earnings report, the retailer’s sales were flat year-over-year. Its store comparable sales rose 0.7%, and its digital comparable sales declined 3.4% from last year.
In its first quarter earnings call, Brian Cornell, Target chairman and CEO, said the retailer has seen a decline in the discretionary spending that had spiked during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, but that it would remain focused on curating a fresh assortment to appeal to shoppers.
“A short-term pullback in discretionary purchases doesn’t mean we’ll turn away from our apparel, home and hardline categories,” Cornell said on a call with analysts at the time. “Instead, we’ll continue to invest in them and deliver fresh new items throughout the year. That’s because our guests continue to love these categories. And we’re focused on building our guest engagement with them.”
Target is scheduled to report its Q2 earnings on Wednesday.
