News: Target to Get Dedicated Apple Shops

Earlier this week, there was talk that Target would be adding a dedicated Apple area in a number of its stores, much like Best Buy, and more details emerged today. Reuters is reporting (via MacRumors) that twenty-five Target stores will get dedicated Apple shops, as part of its “the Shops at Target” initiative.

Apple already has a pretty good presence at most Target stores—iPads, iPods, and iPhones often have their own aisle and displays, but this aims to fill more of a gap in areas where an Apple Store is too far away:

Word of Target’s plans first surfaced late last week, with Apple and Target reportedly teaming up to place the locations in areas without sufficient customer base to support full Apple retail stores.

Neither Apple nor Target has provided details on just what the store-within-a-store concepts will entail, although some are looking to perhaps a scaled-down version of the “Apple Shop” model used in many Best Buy stores as a possibility.

The store-within-a-store should open sometime in May, according to The New York Times:

The Apple details came after Target said it would open in May small boutiques within its stores called The Shops at Target. The shops would will initially feature small, local stores like Polka Dog Bakery in Boston and The Webster in Miami, which sells clothing and accessories. Items created by the stores exclusively for Target will be sold for six weeks in stores and online.

Stores-within-a-store, with dedicated floor space and signs and shelves designed by a brand, have been a popular strategy for a while. Department stores have long had small boutiques for designers like Ralph Lauren or Chanel. J.C. Penney, a Target competitor, has made its stores-within-a-store — for Sephora, Call It Spring, MNG by Mango and other brands — a centerpiece of its strategy.

Either way, this could be good for both parties involved—I always find shopping at Target to be a good experience and if they add this at any of the number of Targets near me, it could save me from having to order online or drive to the Apple Store. This also reminds me of Target’s willingness to experiment, like the Bullseye Bodega that popped up at a number of stores recently.