Last month, Target announced "The Shops at Target" design
program, where they'll partner directly with shop owners of
specialty stores and boutiques to co-create affordable,
limited-edition collections to be sold in Target stores nationwide.
The first flight of "The Shops at Target" features five exclusive
collections from five U.S. specialty stores: The Candy Store, Cos
Bar, Polka Dog Bakery, Privet House and The Webster. According to
Target, the collections are meant to "reflect each shop owner's
unique perspective, offering Target's guests the opportunity to
experience each shop's distinct aesthetic simply by visiting their
local Target store or Target.com."
Except for the fact that it's nearly impossible to leave without
spending at least $50, I love Target. It's my go-to store for
t-shirts, socks, underwear and Nerf guns. Because of my affinity
for Target, I initially embraced "The Shops" concept. I can
appreciate a store that takes the time to curate a smaller
collection of interesting high quality items. It beats the hell out
of searching through racks of crap to find something that speaks to
you. And bringing unique collections from shops across the country
to the masses is a good thing. Or is it?
Certainly it's good for the shop owners who get featured in the
store. But what about the hundreds of thousands of other local,
independent shops and boutiques in this country? If I can now buy
handcrafted dog biscuits at Target, why would I spend twice as much
at the shop down the street? I'm not saying "The Shops" concept is
bad for Small Business, but I wonder if it trivializes it, or if
Target doesn't quite understand Small Business. It's sort of the
opposite of American Express's Small Business Saturday. Instead of
supporting your local small businesses, go buy everything at
Target.
As I said before, I do love Target. I even think "The Shops at
Target" is a good idea. I just wish it did something for all small
businesses, not just the ones lucky enough to be in the store. The
concept is supposed to last beyond 2012 and feature a rotating
selection of shops, so hopefully that's the plan. Creating
awareness of a variety of small shops and boutiques, as well as
encouraging people topatronize their local versions of those shops
would be awesome. I really hope that's the case. Because the last
thing Target can afford to do is be accused of running mom and pops
out of business. If that happens, they run the risk ofturning into
nothing more than a better-curated Walmart.
