Soft Discretionary Spending and Ongoing Digital Investments Likely to Weigh on Target's Margins

Target has built a well-known brand over the past several decades, establishing itself as one of the nation’s leading retailers focused on delivering a gratifying in-store shopping experience while boasting an assortment of trendy apparel, home goods, and household essentials at competitive prices. Since 2014 under CEO Brian Cornell, Target has revamped its brand image after several years of lackluster performance and strategic missteps. The company has peeled back its investments to expand its physical footprint in recent years, instead focusing on driving cost efficiencies throughout its supply chain, renovating existing stores, and building out its omnichannel fulfillment capabilities through the firm’s "stores as hubs" model.