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TARGET OPENS PILOT MINNESOTA LIQUOR STORE
Target opens its fi rst in-store liquor store in its home state of Minnesota in more than 40 years
in a move to compete with other big box stores and grocery chains who sell liquor.
The pilot Minnesota store is a 1,600 square foot addition to a Super Target in Otsego,
Minn., about a 40-minute drive from Minneapolis proper.
Wine is certainly the largest product segment in the store, but Target also made some
space in the small-format for a liquor aisle, a pair of beer coolers and a pair of shelves for
mixers and accessories — in case consumers forgot them in the main store.
"The Otsego Target liquor store offers a full assortment of wine, beer and spirits, including
Target's award-winning and affordable Wine Cube, well-known national brands and local
favorites," says Anne Christensen, from Target's media relations department.
Due to Minnesota regulations, the store features a separate entrance than the main
store, located in the main entryway.
Customers shopping were excited about the new store, but local competitors are
holding their breath.
A second store is slated for the urban Minneapolis suburb St. Louis Park, but so far
Target representatives say they have a lot to learn before continuing to expand.
Expansion "will be dependent on a number of factors, including what we learn from the
Otsego store test, as well as the design of other Minnesota stores that allow for optimal
remodeling," Christensen says. "Right now we are focused on learning more about
operating our liquor business in Minnesota."
— Nicholas Upton
PHOTOS
BY
NICHOLAS
UPTON
