If you’ve ever shopped at Target you’ve probably felt the same way, roaming the aisles for an hour or two, enjoying the great merchandise, clean ­environment, and impeccable customer service. But low prices and quality products aren’t the only factors that distinguish Target from its competition. It’s the “human touch’’— which almost all other discount stores lack today—that draws people back to Target time and again.

Founded in 1962 by Minnesota-based department store Dayton’s, Target exploded in popularity during the mid-1990s and continues its success today. For overfour decades, through its edgy products, innovative store designs, ­memorable image campaigns, and remarkably generous philanthropy, Target—the discount chain with the trademark ­bull’s-eye—has developed a cult-like ­following among American shoppers. With exclusive merchandising partnerships with designers such as Michael Graves, Mossimo, and Todd Oldham, “Tar-zhay,” as some like to refer to one of America’s most profitable ­retailers, has made it hip to be spare by selling bargains and cachet.

In On Target, award-winning business journalist Laura Rowley skillfully ­uncovers—through vivid firsthand stories, candid interviews, and in-depth research—the strategies, motivations, and leaders behind the Target phenomenon, and examines how they have led to such runaway success. You’ll go behind the cash registers and down the aisles as Rowley takes a close look at:

• How the seeds tor Target’s culture were planted in its unique retail history
• How Target reinvented the discount store concept, carving a niche that would allow it to thrive even in the shadow of industry giant Wal-Mart
• How Target’s best practices in management, merchandising, marketing, ­operations, and corporate giving have combined to make it one of the most successful retailers of the new millennium

On Target is the first behind-the-scenes look at the stunning success of America’s hippest discount retailer. Both insightful and entertaining, On Target offers a rare glimpse into a company that closed the gap between quality and cost—and in doing so created a concept that hit the bull’s-eye