Target’s revival is not showing signs of slowing down

It may be too early to call it a success, but Target’s new strategy is showing signs of a positive pivot, according to the latest data from Placer.ai.

Target unveiled a multi-year strategy in early March to turn around slumping sales. The $1 billion strategy includes plans to refresh the store experience across the chain, invest in store payroll and training to elevate the guest experience and strengthen key areas of the assortment.

So far in 2026, the numbers are pointing up for the Minneapolis-based retailer. In the first quarter, visits to Target rose 5.1% year-over-year, marking the chain’s first positive visit growth in more than a year, according to Placer.ai. What is even more impressive is that almost 20% of visits lasted 30 to 45 minutes. The longer visits point to stronger in-store engagement, reports Placer.ai.

Target’s return to traffic growth signals a sustainable recovery on the horizon, and the rise in mid-length visits indicates to CPG companies a more receptive in-store environment for discovery and trade-up, making Target an increasingly attractive channel for innovation, merchandising and premium offerings, according to Placer.ai.

The new data also shows Walmart’s complete domination as the Bentonville, Ark.-based retailer posted year-over-year visit growth in nearly all U.S. markets during the first quarter.

Walmart’s broad-based growth shows that even as consumers are increasingly willing to visit multiple retailers to get what they want, its Superstore model has solidified its role as a primary stop on the American shopping journey, according to Placer.ai.

Of the four major retailers—Walmart, Target, Costco and Dollar General—Costco and Dollar General are driving the strongest visit growth, supported by both substantial fleet expansions and rising visits per location. In 2025, Costco’s visits per store exceeded pre-pandemic levels by 18.1%, and Dollar General’s exceeded them by 10.

2%, with both brands also seeing steady increases in their share of total brick-and-mortar retail chain visits. Costco is also sustaining growth even after raising its membership fee for the first time in seven years in September and tightening enforcement of member-only access to its food courts.

The data says value retail is winning, but in more specialized forms, according to Placer.ai.