In what seems to be an attempt to compete more effectively with the dollar stores, Target made two announcements about its plans for 2011. The first concerns its store opening plans. In 2010, the retailer slowed down its growth pace, preferring instead to concentrate on renovating existing units. This year, however, Target intends to double its number of store openings to 21, according to The Star Tribune.
Furthermore, it will continue to add grocery components to more and more locations, including 380 stores this year, according to Supermarket News. And it will begin testing a smaller store format intended to make it easier for the big box operator to grow into urban areas:
"He said Target plans to open its first units of a new small urban format — called City Target — in 2012, woth pilot locations set for Seattle, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Chicago. “If successful, this format will provide us more flexibility to operate in densely populated areas on sites that won’t accommodate our larger-store formats,” Steinhafel said.
