Bellevue Business: Factoria Target Store Will Offer Fresh Produce

Target is in the process of adding fresh food to its store at the in Bellevue this October.

The Factoria will be one of the company's nearly 350 "PFresh" stores that are open throughout the country.

Along with the cookies, chips, milk and pantry items that Target already offers, the store will feature an open-market layout, including an assortment of fresh produce, such as  bananas, seasonal fruit, berries, baby carrots and bagged lettuce, plus fresh packaged meat and pre-packaged baked goods, according to a company spokesperson.

"Target guests have requested more fresh food selection in the convenience of their local Target store," said Jamie Bastian, the spokesperson.

That particular Target location already is close to several supermarkets and stores. Market Place at Factoria also has a . Across the Street, at Factoria Village (which used to be Loehmann's Plaza), there is a store.

Bastian said the PFresh concept was created in response to research and feedback from guests who requested more fresh food selection in the convenience of their local Target store.

"Our guests lead busy lives, and with the increased food selection, we’ve made it easy to complete their grocery list or pick up tonight’s dinner during their regular Target shopping trip," Bastian said.

Beyond the grocery aisles, Target said the remodeled store will include enhancements in other areas, including Beauty, Home, Baby and Shoes, the company reported.

Target operates 1,755 stores in 49 states, 252 of which are SuperTarget formats, with full-scale grocery operations including in-store bakery, deli, meat and produce sections, including the PFresh model that includes grocery offerings, such as the remodeling plans at the Factoria location.

The company typically spends between $2 and $4 million per remodel, Bastian said.

And while existing employees get new training, Target does not expect to hire additional store employees as a result of the redesign, Bastian said. A Target store employs between 150 to 250 employees.

During a Feb. 24 fourth-quarter 2010 earnings conference call, Target CEO Gregg Steinhafel noted that Target completed a record 341 PFresh remodels in 2010.

"We expect to set another record this year by remodeling approximately 380 more stores," he added. "Consistent with last year's remodels, our 2011 projects will expand our assortment of dry, dairy and frozen foods with a thoughtfully edited assortment of the best-selling perishable items and incorporate reinventions in other areas of the store, including home, apparel, beauty, shoes and baby."

Target also expects to add additional, smaller stores in the Seattle Metro area.

"We continue to develop our plans for a small urban format called CityTarget, and we expect to open pilot locations in Seattle, Los Angeles, Chicago and San Francisco in 2012," Steinhafel added. "If successful, this format will provide us more flexibility to operate in densely populated areas on sites that won't accommodate our larger store formats."