Browsing the Bullseye Bazaar
It wa an interesting concept that I hadn’t seen put into action until last weekend: a pop-up Target store along Chicago’s Michigan Avenue, and dedicated to promoting… nothing more specific than the brand itself.
This was reportedly the first Target pop-up to appear in Chicago, but the retailer has apparently used the tactic in other large metro areas. This one was up and running for the three days just prior to Mother’s Day.
What struck me first was the size of the space. Temporary store or not, this was housed in two floors of the Tribune Towner Building, in a space that used to be the McCormick Freedom Museum. With a door and two large windows facing the street, the store seemed to be exerting a strong pull on the foot traffic on what is Chicago’s main tourist drag. I wasn’t expecting something so thoroughly designed and occupied.
Nor was I expecting to see the range of items on sale—from small garden ornaments and spring apparel to cosmetics and even produce, oranges and peppers carrying the signature Target bullseye. Items were displayed market-style, on kiosks, in wagons and crates, with hand-lettered chalkboard signs of the “C’mon—You need this!!” variety.
And for the most part, shoppers seemed to agree. Maybe it was the location on the city’s Magnificent Mile, where stores like Nordstrom across the street and Bloomie’s and Nieman Marcus up a few blocks cater mostly to the big-ticket crowd. Having an attractive, engaging discount option in that mix—even for only three days—seemed to bring out the browser in lunch-breakers and folks out to tour the town.
I’m told by folks who know that there were some finds and some previews among the items offered, including a crack at some summer fashions in Target’s new line from Tracy Feith that haven’t made it into stores yet. (Actually, I ran across a blog called Second City Style that goes into more detail about what was offered than I could have picked up if I’d worked the gig; here’s the link.)
But again, the most interesting aspect to me was that all this effort and all these resources–to transport the stock, design the space, and staff the store–were invested with having a specific tactical aim. Rather, Target’s approach was simply to remind customers that they’re here and to trot out its low-cost but attractive wares reinforce that “cheap chic” brand identity. The only publicity I saw before the store came to three-day life were some transit posters, but I see a lot of the local shopping blogs caught on a few days before its arrival.
Chicago’s kind of a unique market for Target: While its prime competitor Walmart lives only out in the suburbs (with one big box right on the western edge of the city), Target has four close-in stores that Chicagoans can reach with a short drive, and only one midtown CostCo outlet for in-market competition. But with no downtown locations, bringing the store’s seasonal best to North Michigan Avenue on a busy Mother’s Day weekend was probably a brand-building move worth the time and money.
