Walk into any Target today and you know the drill. The popcorn smell hitting you at the door, the "Target Run" that turns a $10 toothpaste trip into a $200 cart full of throw pillows, and that bright red bullseye everywhere. But if you’re wondering when did Target start, the answer isn’t just a date on a calendar. It’s a gamble that almost didn’t happen.
It was 1962.
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That year was basically the "Big Bang" for American retail. It’s kinda wild to think about, but Target, Walmart, and Kmart all opened their very first doors in the same year. While Sam Walton was busy in Arkansas and Kresge was launching Kmart in Michigan, the Dayton family in Minneapolis was trying to figure out how to keep their high-end department store empire from getting crushed by the new "discount" craze. They didn't want to just sell cheap stuff. They wanted to sell nice stuff, cheap.
The Day the First Red Ribbon Was Cut
So, specifically, when did Target start its actual operations? The first store opened on May 1, 1962.
Location? Roseville, Minnesota.
At the time, the Dayton Company was a big deal in the Midwest. They ran these fancy, polished department stores. When they announced they were opening a discount branch, people in the industry thought they were crazy. They worried it would "tarnish" the family name. That’s actually why they didn't call it "Dayton’s Discount." They needed a new identity.
Stewart K. Widdess, who was the publicity director at the time, was the guy who came up with the name. He went through about 200 options. He landed on "Target" because, in his words, "as a marksman’s goal is to hit the center of a bullseye, the new store would do much the same in terms of retail goods, services, commitment to the community, price, and value."
The original logo wasn't that sleek single-ring bullseye you see on your shopping bags today. It was a classic, three-ring target. It looked like something you’d see at an archery range. Honestly, it was a bit busy. But the mission was clear from day one: "Expect More. Pay Less." They actually used a version of that slogan way back then, though it didn't become the official tagline until much later in the 1990s.
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Why 1962 Changed Everything for Your Wallet
If you look at the landscape of the early 60s, the "discount store" was a dirty word to some people. It meant bins of junk and fluorescent lights that flickered. Target was different from the jump. While Kmart focused on being everywhere fast and Walmart focused on the lowest possible price point, Target went for "cheap chic."
By the end of 1962, they had four stores, all in the Minneapolis area.
They were huge. We're talking 75,000 square feet. They had wide aisles, which was a big deal because most discount stores back then felt like cramped warehouses. They wanted you to feel like you were in a department store, even if you were buying 25-cent detergent.
The growth wasn't an overnight explosion like we see with tech companies today. It was a slow burn. They didn't even leave Minnesota until 1966 when they opened in Denver. Think about that for a second. It took them four years just to cross a state line. They were meticulous.
The Identity Crisis of the 70s and 80s
By the 1970s, Target was the engine driving the whole Dayton-Hudson Corporation (which eventually just became Target Corporation). But it wasn't always smooth sailing. They had to figure out how to compete as the "middle child" of retail.
They weren't as cheap as Walmart.
They weren't as fancy as Macy’s.
They found their groove by leaning into design. In the 80s, they started the whole "Designer for the masses" vibe. They realized that people who didn't have a ton of money still had good taste. This led to the massive expansion where they bought out other chains like FedMart and Gemco. By the time 1982 rolled around—the 20th anniversary—they were a billion-dollar company.
The Bullseye Goes Global (Sorta) and the Digital Shift
When people ask when did Target start becoming the Target we recognize today—the one with the Starbucks in the front and the Altuzarra or Missoni collaborations—you’re really looking at the late 90s.
1999 was a massive year. That’s when they launched the Michael Graves partnership. Suddenly, you could buy a teakettle designed by a world-renowned architect for like 20 bucks. It changed the game. It made Target a destination, not just a place to pick up toilet paper.
Then came the 2000s. They officially changed the corporate name from Dayton-Hudson to Target Corporation in 2000. It was an admission of the obvious: the discount child had eaten the department store parent.
But it hasn't all been roses. You can't talk about their history without mentioning the Canada flop. In 2011, they decided to head North. It was a disaster. They opened 133 stores in a massive rush, the shelves were empty, the prices were too high, and they pulled out entirely by 2015. It was a multibillion-dollar lesson in not moving too fast.
Key Milestones You Probably Didn't Know
- 1962: First store opens in Roseville, MN.
- 1967: The Dayton Company goes public.
- 1969: They merge with J.L. Hudson Company (forming Dayton-Hudson).
- 1975: The "Bullseye" dog, Bullseye, wasn't a thing yet. The first ads featured a real dog much later, in 1999.
- 1990: They acquired Marshall Field’s (which they eventually sold to focus entirely on Target).
- 1995: The first SuperTarget opens. Grocery shopping changes forever.
- 2012: Target hits the 50-year mark with nearly 1,800 stores.
Is Target Still "Starting" New Things?
Retail in 2026 looks nothing like retail in 1962. Back then, it was all about the physical aisle. Today, Target is basically a logistics company that happens to have pretty stores.
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They’ve mastered the "Drive Up" game. If you’ve ever sat in your car while a tired but friendly teenager brings you a bag of groceries and a LEGO set, you’ve experienced the modern evolution of that 1962 vision. They’ve also leaned hard into "owned brands." Brands like Good & Gather or Threshold aren't just generic knock-offs anymore; they are multibillion-dollar brands in their own right.
What’s interesting is how they’ve survived the "Amazon Apocalypse" that killed Sears and Toys "R" Us. They did it by making their stores warehouses. Instead of shipping everything from one giant hub, your online order probably comes from the store five miles away.
Real-World Takeaways for the Curious Shopper
Understanding the history of Target helps explain why the store feels the way it does. It was built by department store people who wanted to give "regular" people a taste of luxury.
If you want to shop Target like an expert, keep these things in mind:
- Check the "Price Change" Schedule: Historically, Target departments have specific days for markdowns. While this varies by manager, the "Monday through Friday" clearance cycle is a real thing.
- The Dollar Spot is a Psychological Trap: It's called "Bullseye’s Playground" now. It’s placed at the front specifically to trigger the "reward" center of your brain, making you more likely to spend more later in the trip. It’s brilliant marketing that dates back to their 1960s roots of "treasure hunting."
- App Integration: The Target Circle app isn't just for coupons; it’s the modern version of the 1962 "guest service" promise. Use it to map the store so you aren't wandering for twenty minutes looking for lightbulbs.
- Collaboration Cycles: Target usually drops their big designer collabs in the Spring and Fall. If you see a major name attached to a collection, it will almost certainly sell out in hours and end up on eBay for triple the price.
Target started as a risky side project for a family of high-end retailers. It survived because it realized that "discount" doesn't have to mean "boring." Whether you call it "Tar-jay" ironically or you’re there three times a week, that 1962 gamble in a Minnesota suburb basically invented the way most of us shop today.
To get the most out of your next trip, download the Target app and join the Circle program before you go. Check the "Bonus" tab for personalized offers that actually track what you buy—it's the most efficient way to maintain that "Expect More, Pay Less" promise in the digital age. Check your local store’s "Clearance" endcaps on Thursday mornings, as that is traditionally a heavy markdown window for many locations across the country.