Target's chief food, essentials and beauty officer on innovation in the grocery aisle
Target has revamped its grocery aisles since the COVID-19 pandemic with items ranging from Korean foods and mocktails to barbecue-flavored trail mix as the discount retailer caters to shoppers who want to experiment while sticking to a budget
NEW YORK — Target has revamped its grocery aisles since the COVID-19 pandemic with items ranging from Korean foods and mocktails to barbecue-flavored trail mix as the discount retailer caters to shoppers who want to experiment while sticking to a budget.
Like many retailers, Target noticed that some habits its customers acquired during the height of the public health crisis, such as snacking and an interest in new flavors, have outlasted the pandemic. But the inflation that drove up food prices last year, though abating, still has shoppers looking for ways to stretch their dollars.
Under Rick Gomez, Target’s chief food, essentials and beauty officer, the Minneapolis-based retailer plans to introduce up to 2,000 new food and beverage items this year. The number includes products in its store label brands — Good & Gather, Market Pantry and Favorite Day — and from national and emerging brands.
The need to innovate coexists with a focus on affordability. In January, Target launched a line called Dealworthy that features nearly 400 tech accessories, toiletries and other basic items, most costing under $10. The company announced last week that it was cutting prices on 5,000 food, drink and essential household products.
A lot is at stake: 23% of Target's total sales come from food and beverages, the second-biggest category after beauty and households essentials, according to the company's most recent annual report.
The Associated Press recently interviewed Gomez about food trends, the
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