Target has had a flurry of official openings for its ‘next generation’ stores around the country with launches in Chatswood and Wetherill Park, NSW, Casey, ACT and Rockhampton, Queensland in the space of seven days, writes David Burton.
The Wetherill Park opening was attended by Target style ambassador Donny Galella, who spent the day in-store available for consultation as well as putting on fashion parades which showed how to coordinate the Target fashion ranges on three different body types, including the Petites by Dannii Minogue brand.
Store Manager Mark Spokes has been running the store for the past two years and is a 20-year Target veteran after starting from school on registers.
He told Retail World that the 5,500sqm store had been refurbished with minimum disruption to customers and that he is delighted at the result. There are 88 staff and there will be a need to recruit more as the increased foot traffic and new café will require additional labour.
Three mature women were the first customers and were pleased with their $10 gift voucher and free coffee. They shop at Target because of the range and pricing and are looking forward to the benefit of the store having its own café, which traded for the first time on the official opening day. Also, a range of opening specials, right across the store, ran through to the Sunday following the Thursday launch.
An innovative move in the store is to place men’s shaving and toiletries ranges within the menswear department under the ‘Men’s Shop’ theme, while in home, a replica Eames DSR chair for $29 and 12-piece coloured stoneware dinner set at a half-price $19.50 are examples of the value offered.
There is a small range of cat and dog treats, so the store offers plenty of opportunity to extract extra dollars from customers over and above their initial spending intentions.
At the Target in-store T-shirt-printing station the first (and satisfied) shopper, Danielle, went home with her customer-designed Madonna T-shirt ready for the diva’s recent Sydney show.
Digital is a hero category for Target and the reintroduction of TVs under the Platinum brand last December has been a big hit with customers throughout the country.
Wetherill Park Stockland has gone through a five-year upgrade investment plan and the centre looks great. The now upgraded Target is a great embellishment to it.
