Winning with Target requires domestic insights and international understanding

Target has some ambitious growth plans for the next five years, and to help suppliers participate in that growth Retailing Today has partnered with the consulting firm Sales Is Not Simple to host a unique event on April 26 in downtown Minneapolis.

“The event is called Winning With Target because there are some great opportunities for suppliers who have a deep understanding of Target’s business, culture and guest in both the United States and Canada,” said Sales Is Not Simple founder Jeff Doucette. “Target is aiming to be a $100 billion retailer by 2017, which would put them in the top four globally and represents approximately 60% growth over that time. Being part of that growth is a definite win for suppliers who arm themselves with the appropriate knowledge.”

Retailing Today and Sales Is Not Simple joined forces last year to produce an event called “Canada 101: Understanding Target’s Next Market,” that was also held in Minneapolis. This year’s “Winning With Target event, scheduled for April 26, employs a unique format with a half-day in the morning devoted to Target U.S. and an afternoon session focused on Canada that will include a presentation by The Nielsen Company’s Canada-based director of consumer insights Carman Allison.

“The morning session of Winning With Target is ideal for anyone who is new to doing business with Target, either personally or on an organizational level,” Doucette said. “Target is a unique retailer and we show participants the things that make them unique such as their culture, their focus on building the brand and providing the best experience in-store. We start by looking at the overall strategy of Target, through to how they work at a headquarters level in terms of merchandising, merchandise planning and category management and then take participants through to the store level where the brand meets the guest.”

Target actively communicates with its suppliers and recently held a major event in Canada to provide an update in advance of its 2013 market entry. The goal of Winning with Target is to complement the information Target is providing at its training sessions, Doucette explained.

“We take a broader view of the market to show attendees how the Target model fits into the competitive landscape and then compare and contrast that to other retailers,” Doucette said. “Participants tell us that our sessions give them more detail from a supplier perspective. Our facilitators have experience as suppliers and because we know what suppliers really want to know we are able to deliver on their expectations with content that is relevant and actionable.”

To learn more about the event and register click here.