Businessweek

Target Corporation operates general merchandise stores in the United States. Segments The company’s segments include U.S. Retail and U.S. Credit Card. The U.S. Retail segment includes all of the company’s U.S. merchandising operations. It offers both everyday essentials and fashionable, differentiated merchandise at discounted prices. The company’s business is designed to enable guests to purchase products in stores, online or through their mobile device. The U.S. Credit Card segment offers credit to qualified guests through its branded proprietary credit cards: the Target Credit Card and the Target Visa. Additionally, the company offers a branded proprietary Target Debit Card. Merchandise The company sells an assortment of general merchandise and food in its stores. Its general merchandise and CityTarget stores offer a food assortment on a smaller scale than traditional supermarkets, while its SuperTarget stores offer a full line of food items. Its owned and exclusive brands include the following: Owned Brands: Archer Farms, Market Pantry, Spritz, Archer Farms, Simply Balanced, Merona, Sutton & Dodge, Boots & Barkley, Play Wonder, Threshold, Circo, Prospirit, up & up, Embark, Room Essentials, Wine Cube, Gilligan & O'Malley, Smith & Hawken, and Xhilaration. Exclusive Brands: Assets by Sarah Blakely, Genuine Kids by OshKosh, Nate Berkus for Target, Auro by Goldtoe, Giada De Laurentiis for Target, Nick & Nora, C9 by Champion, Harajuku Mini for Target, Paul Frank for Target, Chefmate, Just One You made by Carter's, Shaun White, Cherokee, Kitchen Essentials from Calphalon, Simply Shabby Chic, Converse One Star, Liz Lange for Target, Sonia Kashuk, dENiZEN by Levi's, Mossimo, Thomas O'Brien Vintage Modern, and Fieldcrest. The majority of its merchandise is distributed through a network of 40 distribution centers, comprising 37 in the United States and 3 in Canada. Seasonality Due to the seasonal nature of the company’s business, a larger share of annual revenues and earnings traditionally occurs in the fourth quarter because it includes the peak sales period from Thanksgiving to the end of December. Intellectual Property The company’s principal trademarks, including Target, SuperTarget and its ‘Bullseye Design,’ have been registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. History Target Corporation was founded in 1902. The company was incorporated in Minnesota in 1902.