From school supplies to clothing to trash cans, the Target store on 14th Street in northwest D.C. has so much stuff it will make your head spin. Just three months ago, the store took one-stop shopping to a whole new level by adding fresh groceries.
“Now that will help me a lot,” shopper Lafe Brackenridge told NBC Washington.
Target said having meats and veggies alongside home appliances helps their customers save time. The key is to keep prices down, like 19 cents for a banana, and keep the food fresh.
“We get a truck like three to four times a week, so it’s replenished quite often,” assistant manager Richelle Adams said.
Daniel Butler, of the National Retail Federation, said this is a growing trend among traditional drug and retail stores like CVS and Wal-Mart.
“They’re not so much trying to compete with the grocery store market,” said Butler. “They’re trying to make sure that they’re doing something in their stores that makes them distinctive, that makes it worth your while to go to their store to visit them on a regular basis.”
With the added players now in the grocery business, supermarkets are forced to keep up with the trends. The Safeway in Georgetown was remodeled less than a year ago for that reason.
Safeway said because of the economy, shoppers are going to supermarkets less, so it’s important to give customers more of what they do want -- from a TV lounge equipped with a fireplace to a prepared food section with sushi and sandwiches to sales people who know their products.
“We can tell you what wine goes with your steak," Safeway's Craig Muckle said. "We can find those side dishes for you, make meals suggestions. You’re not going to find that in a Target or a CVS.”
“I think the culture of the supermarket is pretty ingrained in the American society so I don’t think they have anything to worry about,” shopper Maquesa Finch said.
Regardless of where you shop, with all the competition the real winners are the consumers.
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