From the Inside Flap
"When I go into a competitor’s store, I have this uncontrollable urge to get whatever I need and get the heck out. With Target it’s more like, ‘Stick around for a while, relax.’"
–Target customer
If you’ve ever shopped at Target you’ve probably felt the same way, roaming the aisles for an hour or two, enjoying the great merchandise, clean environment, and impeccable customer service. But low prices and quality products aren’t the only factors that distinguish Target from its competition. It’s the "human touch"–which almost all other discount stores lack today–that draws people back to Target time and again.
Founded in 1962 by Minnesota-based department store Dayton’s, Target exploded in popularity during the mid-1990s and continues its success today. For over four decades, through its edgy products, innovative store designs, memorable image campaigns, and remarkably generous philanthropy, Target–the discount chain with the trademark bull’s-eye–has developed a cult-like following among American shoppers. With exclusive merchandising partnerships with designers such as Michael Graves, Mossimo, and Todd Oldham, "Tar-zhay," as some like to refer to one of America’s most profitable retailers, has made it hip to be spare by selling bargains and cachet.
In On Target, award-winning business journalist Laura Rowley skillfully uncovers–through vivid firsthand stories, candid interviews, and in-depth research–the strategies, motivations, and leaders behind the Target phenomenon, and examines how they have led to such runaway success. You’ll go behind the cash registers and down the aisles as Rowley takes a close look at:
- How the seeds for Target’s culture were planted in its unique retail history
- How Target reinvented the discount store concept, carving a niche that would allow it to thrive even in the shadow of industry giant Wal-Mart
- How Target’s best practices in management, merchandising, marketing, operations, and corporate giving have combined to make it one of the most successful retailers of the new millennium
On Target is the first behind-the-scenes look at the stunning success of America’s hippest discount retailer. Both insightful and entertaining, On Target offers a rare glimpse into a company that closed the gap between quality and cost–and in doing so created a concept that hit the bull’s-eye.
From the Back Cover
PRAISE FOR On Target
"A retailing dynasty, spanning a century and four generations, and still a hot-shot winner: that makes fascinating reading. Throw in legendary names, bare-knuckle business battles, and the discount wars, and you have a textbook that reads like a novel. On Target is a winner itself."
–Stuart Varney
Anchor, Wall Street Journal Editorial Board with Stuart Varney on CNBC
"An enlightening look at the history and culture of the Target Corporation, with compelling management lessons for all retailers."
–Kevin Kelleher, Chief Financial Officer, Sony Music Entertainment
"On Target is the perfect book to read for inspiration on how to connect with theAmerican consumer. It is an insightful study of a successful corporation and what made it that way. The book will become ‘the bible’ for a generation that wants to understand their own spending habits or tap into the culture of American retailing. Rowley artfully gets behind the business decisions that keep Target’s products ahead of the curve and connecting emotionally with its customers. For anyone who considers themselves a creative, marketing or innovative thinker, this is a rich read indeed."
–Lucy Danziger, Editor in Chief, Self Magazine
