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Retail

How Retailers Can Win Big By Going Small

Explore how embracing smaller store formats can help retailers like Target increase its foot traffic.

By 
Bracha Arnold
November 18, 2022
How Retailers Can Win Big By Going Small
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Key Takeaways

Our latest white paper takes a closer look at the growing trend of retailers adding small-format stores to their fleets. We dove into the foot traffic data of four leading chains to see how retailers can use small-format stores to increase visit density, cater to niche audiences, and foster brand loyalty. Below is a taste of our findings. For the full report, read the white paper here.  

Target – Targeting the Right Audience

Small-store formats can help retailers offer a curated product selection to specific audiences. Target has a typical store format that spans around 130,000 sq. ft, but the chain has been incorporating small-format stores into its fleet since 2012. Today, the chain operates over 150 small-format stores, including around 25 small-format stores located on or near college campuses that cater specifically to students. Target as a whole is already one of the strongest retailers in the brick-and-mortar space. Still, foot traffic data indicates that the company’s small-format stores are performing even better – the brand’s regular-sized stores saw 15.1% growth in Q3 2022 while small-format stores saw Yo3Y foot traffic growth of 35.7% in that same quarter. 

And unsurprisingly, the median age at these college stores skews young. The median age of Target visitors nationwide is approximately 35, while visitors to the campus-oriented stores have a median age of 28.9 – which may mean that Target is benefitting twice from its campus-oriented stores. First, the company has succeeded in creating a shopping experience that caters specifically to college students, which is likely driving the success of these campus-oriented stores. And second, by cultivating positive engagement with younger customers, Target could be fostering continued brand loyalty for years to come.  

Targeting a Smaller Trade Area

Perhaps more surprising is that Target’s small-format campus stores successfully draw healthy traffic volumes despite their relatively small trade area. The small-format Target near Ohio State University (OSU) had a True Trade Area (TTA) of 4.2 square miles between January and September 2022, while two nearby full-size locations in Columbus, OH, had TTAs of 22.8 and 29.3 square miles, respectively, during the same period. And the trade area of the OSU small-format Target is not just smaller – it is entirely subsumed within the trade areas of the larger, nearby Targets, making the success of the small-format campus store even more impressive. 

Attracting a new customer base within an area served by multiple stores is no easy task, and the campus Target stores did just that by carving out a new customer segment within Target’s trade area. And despite the overlap with nearby, larger Targets, the campus stores had higher Yo3Y visits than full-size locations.

The success of Target’s small-format campus stores in areas already served by full-size locations highlights how retailers can make use of small-format stores to reach new audiences.  

For more insights into small-format retail, read the full white paper here.

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