Kurt Griebel is the team leader at the Target store in Coralville, Iowa. His store has just had its grand reopening after a massive refit and renovation that will bring Coralville’s Target in line with the Minneapolis-based corporation’s latest vision of customer experience and design. Kurt was able to take some time out of his busy schedule and share with us some of Target’s brand-driven insights.
Give us the elevator speech for the remodel of your Target …
It is all about design and ease for the guest as they shop. We have delivered a lower profile look to the store giving our guest the ability to see more of what we have to offer at affordable prices. For example we have lowered the heights of our gondolas as you enter a department thus giving you the chance to view all of our merchandise from the main aisle without as much obstruction. We have now moved all baby care and infants apparel together in a shop we call destination baby. Prior to the remodel we had baby care spread out in different corners of the store. The same can be said of destination beauty combining cosmetics and beauty aids together in one shop. Again our goal is to delight the guest with value, design, and affordable quality packaged in a state of the art facility that you love spending time in.
I was telling my team on grand opening that when we unveiled the fully completed store and I saw it 100% complete, I was impressed with its beauty. I told them that this is my national park and I felt like the park ranger. I told them we need to keep it clean, safe, and fun for our guests.
Many stores have remodeled over the past decade — some many times — while the Coralville Target has been largely unchanged since it opened. What’s changed with regard to the customer experience Target works to create over the past decade?
Every year I try to attend the auto show in Chicago. I love to sit in the BMW 7 series and see what is new in the way of design. Every year I say “how can they make this car any better than it is?” I come back the next year and by golly they made it better. I have been with Target 27 years and I have worked in 19 stores. I have seen my share of design and change. Every remodel cycle we do the same thing as BMW — we make it better (by golly!). The main changes to our store with this remodel was the introduction of fresh food and a new Pharmacy to this location. Target is all about innovation and design. We are proving that food can be presented with great design and appeal to the guest. We do a great job with presentation and marketing, I believe we have an advantage over our competition because of our extremely high standards to delight our guests with what they want and what they need.
This is a big process. Can you tell us how Target manages remodels like this nationwide?
We have a world-class team that helps us organize and execute our remodels and new store site construction. The property development team focuses fully on relationship building with the store teams and our communities.
When you’re in big box retail you always have to be enhancing the customer experience. As such, what’s next on the horizon for Target?
The move is Canada and our launch to cross the border in 2013. This has been widely expected and now it is reality. We are so excited to make this move internationally. Further, we will continue to remodel and expand food through the Pfresh prototype sweeping the nation. Target is truly a one stop shop for all your wants and needs at affordable price points. We are bright, clean, and edgy with our design quality and guest experience. I am profoundly proud to lead this store in the Iowa City/Coralville market!
