Dive Brief:
- As Target undergoes a turnaround effort, the mass retailer is relaunching its Target Style social media account this fall, according to a company post Friday.
- The new creative vision for the @TargetStyle Instagram account will debut on Saturday at New York Fashion Week. The retailer said its new Target Style content will include fall trend spotlights (featuring transitional outfit inspiration) and microinfluencer collaborations with New York City-based talent.
- Additionally, Target has debuted a new marketing campaign called “Forever Fall” and has brought back its “Teammates of Target” YouTube series that centers around husbands.
Dive Insight:
Target is reinvigorating its social presence as the weather gets cooler across the country.
The retailer’s new fall marketing campaign and Target Style relaunch are aiming to promote a wide range of fall-inspired merchandise. The company’s callouts include glassware from the Hearth & Hand with Magnolia brand, apple cider candles and seasonal snacks from its Good & Gather brand.
Target also launched more than 1,500 Halloween products in August. Most of those items are priced under $25, with some as low as $1.
The retailer’s Chief Commercial Officer Rick Gomez hinted at the company’s seasonal plans during a Q2 earnings call in August.
“As the seasons turn from warm summer days to cool fall nights, we are excited about our plans for all of the remaining seasonal moments that are just around the corner, including our plans for Halloween and the Q4 holiday. From pumpkins to throw blankets and decor to Halloween candy and costumes, we are delivering incredible amounts of on-trend newness and value throughout this year’s assortment,” the executive told analysts.
Newness in Target’s assortment is a key focus for the retailer as it aims to reverse course on declining sales trends.
During the same earnings call with analysts (which coincided with the news that COO Michael Fiddelke will become CEO next year), Gomez noted that nearly a third of Target’s candy selection and about three-quarters of its home products for Halloween are new this year.
The retailer’s Q2 net sales fell 0.9% year over year to $25.2 billion while store comps declined 3.2%. Target maintained its full-year outlook, though the quarter also saw double-digit drops in both operating income and net earnings.