A fresh foundation in the Northeast makes Target a national powerhouse

Target faces several challenges in its attempts to expand and compete with Wal-Mart Stores Inc. It opened stores in the northeast in early 1996 and plans to build 50 stores in the Washington/Baltimore areas by the end of 1997, but it cannot compete with Wal-Mart's expansion in California. Its SuperTarget concept is still being tested and its food prices cannot compete with Wal-Mart's wholesale prices. Its Greatland store concept is not generating predicted profits. Target is competitive with Wal-Mart in using technology to improve management and its treatment of customers.
It is the smallest player of the Big Three, the most limited in geographical reach and the most resolutely upscale in its merchandising. Target now stands on the threshold of [...]