Target Courts College Students

The discount chain has plans to open small-format stores and popups near campuses.

August 02, 2017

MINNEAPOLIS – Target has a new, er, target customer in its sights: college students, the Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports. To reach these customers, the discount retailer will open smaller stores and popups near university campuses to make it quicker—and easier—to purchase supplies for dorms.

“How we’re reaching college students has changed and is evolving,” said Joshua Thomas, a Target spokesman. “As consumers are changing, so has our strategy and how we can service students.”

Previously, Target would hold after-hours shopping events with school mascots and DJs, bussing in thousands of students from nearby campuses to its stores. This year, the chain will scale back those types of events in favor of “Shop Now, Pickup Later” service, which it’s testing at six campuses. “Shop Now, Pickup Later” allows students to pre-order from a designated list of 300 items, such as mini fridges, lounge chairs and sheets, then pick up the items closer to move-in time at designated spots close to campus housing.

Also, Target is putting smaller stores around the edges of campuses, and offering free rides from campus to the stores via a Gotcha Ride partnership. At the University of North Carolina campus, the retailer will have a two-day popup store onsite with dorm room décor items to sell and to promote the new bricks-and-mortar store close to campus.

“Heading off to college is a pretty pivotal life moment,” Thomas said. “We see it as an opportunity to establish ourselves in new ways or deepen our affinity with them.” This year, families will shell out a record $54 billion, up from $48.5 billion in 2016, on back-to-college purchases, according to the National Retail Federation.

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