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Target's $31B Owned Brands: The Quiet Engine Behind Its Revival?

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Key Takeaways

  • Target's owned brands now total $31B, anchoring its push to revive growth and brand identity.
  • Incoming CEO Michael Fiddelke aims to make design and affordability core to Target's full assortment.
  • Owned labels in home, food, and hardlines are boosting traffic, sales and shopper loyalty.

Target Corporation’s (TGT - Free Report) owned brands portfolio has become a key part of the retailer’s efforts to restore growth and strengthen its merchandising authority. The company’s $31 billion portfolio of in-house labels reflects years of investment in design, sourcing and trend analysis that now give Target a distinct competitive advantage. Management has highlighted these brands as a differentiator that combines value and style, allowing the company to deliver fresh assortments that connect with consumers across categories.

Incoming CEO Michael Fiddelke underscored the importance of using owned brands to reestablish Target’s identity as a design-led retailer. The goal is to bring Target’s signature blend of style and affordability consistently across its assortment, not just through special collections or partnerships. Executives described owned brands as key to driving both relevance and margin expansion, particularly as consumers seek affordable quality during uncertain economic times.

In the second quarter of fiscal 2025, the strength of Target’s design and sourcing engine was evident in categories like Hardlines, where the FUN 101 initiative infused trend-driven products that lifted traffic and sales. Owned brands are also reshaping everyday categories such as home and food, giving Target flexibility to introduce newness at speed. With design embedded in its DNA, the company’s private label strategy is emerging as a quiet but powerful driver of loyalty and differentiation, reinforcing the foundation for Target’s next phase of retail reinvention.

What the Latest Metrics Say About TGT

Target, which competes with Walmart Inc. (WMT - Free Report) and Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST - Free Report) , has seen its shares decline 36.2% in the past year against the industry’s growth of 6.7%. While shares of Walmart have rallied 27.6%, Costco has risen 4.3% in the aforementioned period.
 

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From a valuation standpoint, Target's forward 12-month price-to-earnings ratio stands at 11.94, lower than the industry’s ratio of 30.13. TGT carries a Value Score of A. Target is trading at a discount to Costco (with a forward 12-month P/E ratio of 46.34) and Walmart (37.44). 
 

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The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Target’s current financial-year sales and earnings per share implies a year-over-year decline of 1.4% and 16.3%, respectively.

 

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Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Costco currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.


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