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Target Takes Best National Retailer Prize

MINNEAPOLIS –

Target’s CE assortment
may not be the most expansive
in retail, but its astute merchandising,
precision editing and bright, buoyant
presentation make its less-is-more approach
a winner.

As it has in apparel, housewares and
home fashions, Target has raised discount-
channel electronics from mass
to class by offering top-tier brands like
Apple, Bose, Monster, Panasonic and
Samsung, and by being first-to-market
across all brick-and-mortar channels
with Kindle and other products and services.

The No. 5 CE chain, which garnered
$6.5 billion in brown-goods revenue last
year, has also expanded its already considerable
gaming section, outsourced
its mobile business to RadioShack, and
reset the electronics department with
an open layout and improved sight lines.

On the service side, Target now offers
TV delivery and installation through Zip
Express, free tech support through its
toll-free (877) MyTGTtech hotline, and
pre-owned CE trade-ins through Next-
Worth. In addition, CE, like all merchandise
sold in-store or online, is offered
at a 5 percent discount if purchased
on the chain’s private-label credit card,
compounding its already competitive
prices.

“Consumer electronics and video
games are an integral part of Target’s
business, and we aim to deliver competitive
prices, an expertly edited selection
and compelling services,” said
merchandising VP Nik Nayar. “Receiving
recognition from TWICE showcases
how we’re successfully achieving
our goals and delivering on our ‘expect
more, pay less’ brand promise.”

On a recent visit to a suburban Target
location in central New Jersey, which
was tapped for the original 100-store
RadioShack mobile pilot, the department
was highlighted by dedicated displays
for Bose sound docks and speaker
systems, iPod and iPad hardware and
accessories, and Monster Beats headphones.

Gaming sprawled across three aisles,
reflecting last year’s 30 percent increase
in category real estate, while one
aisle each was devoted to tablets and
e-book readers, headphones and digital
imaging. The latter was relocated from
its original wraparound display by the
checkout counter as part of last year’s
reset, while mobile retains the coveted
central spot near the register.

Accessories comprised the secondlargest
category after gaming, ranging
from mounts, earphones and recordable
media, to batteries, cases and computer
peripherals.

Despite an expanded TV wall, Target’s
investment in that category has
traditionally trailed its competitors
and the strategy appears unchanged.
Screen sizes topped out at 55 inches,
smart LED models were scant, and no
3D demos were offered. Given continued
compression of TV pricing and
margins, Target’s decision here appears
prescient.

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