Target is remodeling its store at Blakeney Shopping Center on Rea Road to add an expanded fresh grocery selection, and expects the project to be complete by the end of June.
The store is one of the last in the area that haven't already had the fresh food facelift. Target has been pushing expanded fresh grocery selections for several years now, in an attempt to win shoppers from rivals such as Wal-Mart and drive more frequent shopping trips from existing customers.
The Rea Road store (called "Charlotte Far South" on the Target store remodel website) is one of 90 being remodeled in the latest fresh grocery renovations. Target has already converted almost 1,000 of its 1,765 stores to the new format, which includes another 10,000 square feet of space for groceries. They include fresh produce, packaged meats and packaged baked goods, along with the traditional dry food and frozen coolers.
The renovation also includes wider aisles, lower displays, an updated beauty aisle and a reconfigured shoe department in hopes of spurring more spending.
Data from Chain Store Guide, a company that collects market share data, shows Target is still a comparatively minor local grocery player, with 1.3 percent of Charlotte area grocery sales. It's the 11th-largest grocery retailer locally. Wal-Mart is the largest, with 21.5 percent of the market, followed by Harris Teeter, with 21.1 percent.
Here's an earlier story I did with Kathleen Purvis about Target's grocery program, which was originally called P-Fresh.
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