Target's Supply Chain

Target’s Supply Chain
Unit 2 Assignment
Michelle Kaczmarek
GB570 Managing the Value Chain
Dr. Pricilla Aaltonen
Kaplan University
December 18, 2012

Target’s Supply Chain
The Target Corporation was founded in 1962 by John Dayton.   Target was originally a discount store by the name of the Dayton Company that was established in the suburbs of Roseville, Minnesota (The History of Corporation, n.d.).   Initially, there were four Target stores, all operating out of Minnesota, until 1968 when two more stores were opened in St Louis.   Target stores were mainly retail until acquisitions and expansions within the organization were made in 1969.   The merging of companies (then named Dayton-Hudson Corporation) created an opportunity for Target to expand into areas such as electronics and appliances (Target Corporation, 2012).   However, the expansion and lack of experience by executives and management caused sales to drop’ management issues were adjusted and the company has flourished in the industry.   In 2000, the Dayton-Hudson Corporation changed its name to Target Corporation.   The retail chain currently has 1,591 retail stores throughout the United States (except for Hawaii, Alaska, and Vermont) and has generated over $69.9 billion in revenue (Google Finance, 2012).  
Overview of Target’s Supply Chain
Target Corporation is one of the Nation’s leading retailers.   Target is a corporation that is driven by its consumer’s needs, wants, and desires.   Therefore, understanding the logistics of their supply chain is crucial to their success.   The Company is driven to please its consumer base by continuously offering quality products at reasonable prices.   According to Walters & Rainbird (2007), a supply chain focuses on how efficient an organization’s production and logistics processes function.   Moreover, Target’s supply chain will help minimize costs giving Target the ability to control those costs.   Target has created a competitive advantage because they are able...