Target Lost Its ‘Tar-zhay.’ Wellness May Bring It Back

BusinessRetailTarget Lost Its ‘Tar-zhay.’ Wellness May Bring It BackByPamela N. Danziger,Senior Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Pam Danziger reports on retail, focused on the luxury consumer market.Follow AuthorMay 18, 2026, 10:45am EDT--:-- / --:--This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.SummaryAfter a multi-year revenue slide and losing its unique appeal, Target is strategically pivoting to "wellness" to regain customer trust and corporate health. Recognizing wellness as a significant cultural shift, not just a fleeting trend, the retailer is integrating it across nearly all departments, from health and beauty to apparel and home goods. This includes banning synthetic dyes in cereals, adding 2,000 new wellness products, and expanding its health range by 25%. Target's $10 billion health division and $13 billion beauty segment are seeing wellness as a major growth driver. Early signs indicate success, with foot traffic up 5.1% in Q1, suggesting that focusing on consumers' desire for a healthier lifestyle is key to Target's turnaround and creating higher-value, multi-category shopping experiences.Show More Target Corporate Headquarters at Target Plaza in Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S., May 5, 2023. Target Corporation is an American retail corporation.gettyOver the past few years, Target has slipped from being a retail shining star to something far more commonplace. After reaching $109 billion in revenue in fiscal 2022, it’s been on a steady multiyear slide—disappointing customers with uninspired merchandising, poorly tended stores and corporate policy shifts that sparked nationwide boycotts. By 2025, net sales had dropped to $104.8 billion and comp-in-store sales were down 4% year over year, a clear sign that Target was losing its “Tar-zhay”—that je ne sais quoi that made people fall in love with the brand.Restoring that aura will...