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It's fitting that the first TargetExpress beta store would open in Dinkytown, USA —it's an actual neighborhood in Minneapolis— but RetailWire reports that three of the four additional experimental outposts Target plans to open next year will be in or near San Francisco. This smaller store concept customizes inventory to suit local shopping needs. The location in Dinkytown, for example, features beauty products, electronics, seasonal items, home goods, groceries, and a pharmacy in anticipation of what shoppers from the nearby University of Minnesota campus will purchase.
Hopefully this move toward smaller Target stores won't look like the Walgreens situation in Union Square, with five stores in a four block radius. Wouldn't it be better to see TargetExpress locations throughout SF and in neighborhoods without a current Target presence? Outer Sunset, anyone?
· Will a small store help Target get its mojo back? [RetailWire]
· Ulta Will Be Target's New Neighbor in City Center [Racked SF]