Target Corporation, a famous mass-market retail company in America, has entered a collaboration with Apple, the tech giant, with a new retail concept to be set in motion this 2021.
The two companies spent several months designing the new dedicated Apple shops, planned to be installed in 17 Target stores nationwide, with more set to be opened within the same year and beyond, according to a press release.
The area is made up of a wooden under-lit table showcasing Apple products, backed by two cases of Apple Watches, iPhones, iPads, Apple TV, HomePod, AirPods and other accessories. Three halo light fixtures placed overhead creates a nice ambient atmosphere – note that these halos are also used in other specialized areas of Target’s stores.
Target already sells Apple merchandise, but the mini shops will more than double the tech company’s presence inside each store, include more accessories and have employees with specialized training from Apple. Customers are welcome to try out the Apple products. The Apple products have a fresh new look on Target’s website as well.
For many consumers, a Target store has significantly replaced hours-long shopping trips to many different retailers, most especially during the pandemic. The big-box retailer has experienced considerable growth in sales because it kept its doors wide open as an essential retailer in the early stages of the global health crisis, and then created new ways to capitalize on convenience with its large variety of merchandise, curbside pickup, and encouraging people to make purchases online instead and have it conveniently delivered the same day through their third-party delivery service Shipt.
This is the latest collaboration Target has made. Their previous collaborations with popular brands include Disney, Levi Strauss & Co., and Ulta Beauty.
Apple said in a statement that it looks forward to “continuing to work with Target on exciting new ways to serve customers in-store and online.”
Target Chief Growth Officer Christina Hennington said the dedicated area will make its sales floor more experiential and will definitely catch customers’ attention. It will also have displays and show videos that are more engaging.
She said, “Apple products are popular with Target’s guests, and this new, dedicated shopping experience offers enhanced service and expanded offerings, building on our strength as a go-to destination for electronics. When we have something that is uniquely compelling and different, whether it’s in the assortment, how the experience is brought together or service — which is a big component of what we are talking about with the Apple experience — it draws our guests in, which then drives traffic, and of course sales over time.”