Dive Brief:
- Target is tapping another HGTV star, this time to light up its Project 62 private label. Interior designer Leanne Ford, who co-hosts the show "Restored by the Fords" is releasing a 30-piece, limited-time collection of "modern" lighting options, according to a post on Target's Bullseye blog.
- The collection will debut in stores and on Target.com on Feb. 10. Products are priced starting at $29.99 and range from table and floor lamps to pendant and sconce fixtures.
- Items in the collection all come with light bulbs, fabric-covered cords and are made from substantial materials that don't feel "cheap," according to the post. The collection specifically aimed to boost the private label's offering of large-scale pieces, Jill Sando, senior vice president of merchandising at Target, said in a statement.
Dive Insight:
The debut of Project 62 in mid-2017 marked increased momentum in a major private label investment that has helped Target cement its "cheap chic" reputation and boost its bottom line. Target has rolled out 20 private label brands in apparel, home decor, electronics and personal care since 2016, with eight brands rolling out last year.
The company's first major success story was Cat & Jack, a children's apparel line that launched in 2016 and quickly hit over $1 billion dollars in total sales. Since then, year-old women's brand A New Day has also joined the club.
Celebrity partnerships are a classic page from Target's merchandising playbook, but drawing specifically from the cast of HGTV home improvement shows is a growing trend. In September of 2017, Target debuted Hearth & Hand with Magnolia, a lifestyle home brand from Chip and Joanna Gaines of "Fixer Upper." The brand was a top seller over the holiday season that year, CEO Brian Cornell said at the time.
Other exclusive deals with celebrities like cookbook author Chrissy Teigen have proven fruitful. In September, Target rolled out a 40-piece collection of kitchenware, dubbed Cravings after the name of her cookbook.
As these new Target private label brands grow up, limited-edition collections with of-the-moment TV celebrities are one way to keep collections fresh, and customers coming back for more.
