Target is going after a new demographic — the wide-width customer. The company has announced its plan to increase its current offering of women’s shoes in the category available at both Target stores and online.
According to the company, the initiative has been in the works. Over the past year it has expanded its offering of wide-width shoes, which currently makes up 30% of its entire women’s shoe department.
“We want our guests to know they can count on Target for a wide range of sizes and styles, from swimwear to intimates to apparel and shoes, so they can look and feel their very best,” said Jill Sando, SVP and GMM, apparel and accessories and home for Target. “In shoes, we’ve recently expanded our assortment to include hundreds of wide-width shoe options to ensure all guests can find the perfect shoes that fit amazing and complete their look.”
Coming for fall, Target is introducing more than 100 new styles in wide widths, including ballet flats, booties and heels. And the retailer will continue to expand these options across the kids’ and men’s departments.
Target is not alone in its efforts. There are a range of brands currently catering to the size-and-width market. These include Clarks, Easy Spirit, J. Renée, Naturalizer, Walking Cradles and others. While they have traditionally targeted a more mature customer, they’re now recognizing there are younger consumers today who need wider-width shoes, and they are raising the style bar on their collections to appeal to these consumers.
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