Dive Brief:
- As part of its larger merchandising strategy to grow private labels, Target on Monday launched a stand-alone fresh flower and plant brand called Good Little Garden, according to a press release.
- The retailer-owned brand has pricing starting at $6 and includes more than 60 options of seasonal and everyday assortments ranging from potted plants to bouquets. Good Little Garden is available in Target stores nationwide and through Target's same-day ordering services.
- Target introduced seasonal floral offerings to its stores in 2020 via its party supply owned brand Spritz and has since seen floral sales triple, per the release.
Dive Insight:
Target’s further venture into live florals and plants adds to its private-label growth strategy.
The retailer in March announced a strategic plan to reach $15 billion in sales growth by 2030. To achieve that, the company is investing in stores and revamping its merchandising across several categories, which includes an effort to boost its private brands.
CEO Brian Cornell in March noted that about a dozen of Target’s private labels are $1 billion brands. In 2024, the retailer relaunched its owned sleepwear brand Auden and its home essentials brand Up&Up with an expanded assortment. Target also debuted private label toy brand, Gigglescape, and a new low-price basics brand named Dealworthy that same year.
“When you combine the amazing assortment our team has curated, and everything we've done to ensure we're delivering quality and freshness to stores nationwide, Good Little Garden is making it easier than ever to celebrate any occasion,” Lisa Roath, chief merchandising officer of food, essentials and beauty at Target, said in a statement.
For Mother’s Day, Target will host in-store events at select locations on Sunday with giveaways and a “build your own bouquet” offering with Good Little Garden products.
The merchandising revamp is underway as Target faces consumer backlash from its reversal of some company diversity efforts in January.
Target has seen traffic fall since the change to its DEI initiatives, per data from footfall analytics firm Placer.ai this month. Target store traffic dropped 9% in February compared to last year and 6.5% in March, after rising 3.6% in January, per Placer data.
Activist Rev. Al Sharpton and Target CEO Brian Cornell met earlier this month to discuss the changes to its DEI efforts after Sharpton publicly considered a boycott of the retailer. Sharpton’s civil rights activist group, National Action Network, also met with PepsiCo regarding its DEI initiative changes in April as it considers a potential boycott of the food and beverage company.
In a press release from NAN on Friday, Sharpton noted in a statement that he met with Cornell and took a photo during the meeting, but stressed that this was not just a photo-op.
“This was a message that we will go public with progress and what the answers are for the things we asked for,” said Sharpton.
