And the Lesson they hold for every business.

In a previous video, I talked about Target’s rapid decline.  

I gave five strategies for turning it around.

Store execution, very important.

Cultural relevance, critical.

But there was one strategy I found most significant.

A redefined strikingly unique value proposition.

Target has lost it’s ability to stand out against the competition.  

Now, maybe we ought to rewind.  (Insert rewind sound.)

I mentioned 5 strategies for turning Target around.  

But how did I come up with these strategies?

Easy.  I studied 5 of the most viral retail chains:

TJX, Aldi, Costco, Walmart, and sprouts.

First, I looked at TikTok’s Creative Center hashtag views.   

I wanted to see which retail chains TikTok users were excited about.  

Costco, TJX, Walmart, Sprouts, and Aldi.

The five retailers I mentioned, was where shoppers were sharing the most deals and hot finds.

When studying them, it became clear to me that all of them had one thing:

𝘔𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘱𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤 𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴.

In other words, they didn’t just have a way of doing business.

They had a very unique way of doing business that set them apart from other retailers.  

Now most of these are value plays.  Noted.

But it is not the 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 that is compelling; it is the 𝘩𝘰𝘸.

We know they provide value, for the most part, but how they come to that value is what is unique.

These retailers aren’t just racing to the bottom, which is a recipe for unprofitability.

They all have unique and brilliant ways of getting that value to the customer.  

They do have competitors, absolutely.

There have been copycats, sure.

But each of them had a uniqueness that was striking.

Consider:

𝗔𝗹𝗱𝗶 → 𝟵𝟬% 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗟𝗮𝗯𝗲𝗹.

𝗖𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗰𝗼 → 𝗡𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗼𝘄, 𝗥𝗼𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁.

𝗪𝗮𝗹𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘁 → 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗻 𝗘𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗲.

𝗧𝗝𝗫 → 𝗢𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗕𝘂𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴.  They have more buyers than any other retail chain, and they search the globe for one time buys at deep discount.  

𝗦𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘂𝘁𝘀 → 𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗖𝘂𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗗𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.  They rotate new and dynamic brands through an Innovation Set in each store to keep shopping exciting and new.  

All of them result in a degree of excitement and virality.

Even Walmart has become quite “TikTokkable” with their caviar and Tomahawk steak finds.

Compare that to the sameness of yesterday’s legacy retailers:

Think of Belk, JCPenney, Clover, and Bon-Ton. 

What if you were transported directly into one?

Would you even know which one you were in?

This then begs the question.

What is my 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘱𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤 𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯?

What is your 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘱𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤 𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯?

For your brand, your business, or yourself?

What do you think?

What store do you like going in when you don’t need anything at all?

And what can you learn about them for your personal brand, or your business? 

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We drive velocity in Sprouts, Whole Foods, Walmart, Target, Walgreens, CVS, Kroger, Sam's, COSTCO, and lots of other retailers.

We grow brands on Amazon.