Target introduces new portfolio of clothing sub-brands

For many Americans, a visit to Target is not just a shopping trip, but an experience. The store is notorious on social media for shoppers intending to purchase only one item, but leaving with a number of items.

Throughout its successful history, brand design has always been important for the Minneapolis-headquartered company. The Target masterbrand is ranked 28th on Siegel+Gale’s Global Brand Simplicity Index and is iconic in its own right. But the conglomerate’s focus on its own-label brands has also increased over the past few years. It redesigned its own brand food and pharmaceuticals in 2009; now the retailer is rolling out a stable of 12 new clothing brands across its portfolio.

The most recent of which, A New Day, replaces longtime women’s clothing stalwarts Mossimo and Merona. The wordmark for the new brand takes after the & Other Stories style of Scandinavian simplicity and beauty, but with a distinctly American feel. The slab serif type feels almost typewriter-like and the visual identity relies on neutral colours and sophisticated packaging and labelling. The new brand has been designed by New York-based consultancy Collins.

Collins writes on its project page, “We helped name this new apparel page turner ‘A New Day’ – personifying the idea that Target guests view every day as a new chapter in their life – a new chance to write their own story. The acronym A.N.D. is also leveraged as secondary naming approach to emphasise that the clothing line is made to be combined with and punctuate each guests own, unique style story.”

Another women’s brand unveiled as part of Target’s ambitious rebranding programme is Universal Thread. The sub-brand focuses on casual wear, particularly denim, shoes and accessories. Target’s EVP and chief merchandising officer says Universal Thread is part of a strong future for the company’s clothing lines, “Guests can expect to see great ideas brought to life in their home, their wardrobe and more that provide exceptional value and innovative design. We’re improving our existing assortment or bringing newness. We’ve got plenty more amazing brands up our sleeves to make Target the preferred destination for guests again and again.”

On the men’s side, the new brand Goodfellow & Co takes its name from Target’s heritage as its first name was Goodfellow Dry Goods. The brand takes a modern, sophisticated, yet still casual and universal approach to menswear. The branding uses an interesting, somewhat traditional typeface that sits nicely alongside A New Day, without relying on the same brand touchpoints.

Target’s main discount department store competitor, Walmart, similarly upped its clothing game last year when it purchased women’s indie online favourite Modcloth. The decision was motivated by Modcloth’s inclusive fashion outlook and its strong e-commerce platform, allowing Walmart to expand its digital reach into a new audience.

For more on Target's brands, see our feature on own-brands here.