Did You Know Target’s Nickname Came From The Duluth, Minnesota Store?

I stumbled on a piece of trivia that I thought was worth sharing. I think most people know that Target originated in Minnesota. It was originally the Dayton Company's Discount Department Store. In 1962 the current Target format and name debuted in Roseville, Minnesota.

By the end of 1962, Target had opened up four more stores in Minnesota. St. Louis Park, Crystal, and Duluth, Minnesota became the new discount store locations.

What made Target different from other department stores was combining fashion, quality, and service with the low prices of a discounter. That's according to Target themselves.

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What was interesting as I continued to read on was the fact that the nickname for Target was first heard at the Duluth, Minnesota store.

Target actually recognizes the nickname "Tarjay or Tarzhay." They've even used it in ads since it was coined in 1962. Douglas Dayton said the first place he heard it was at the Duluth store.

“Duluth was the first place I heard it: Customers started calling it ‘Tarzhay.’ That was 1962,” Douglas Dayton said. “We surprised ‘em, because they had such low expectations for a discount store.”

The Duluth store has had some major updates and improvements over the years. It's still a very busy location and has expanded in recent years to offer groceries and alcohol sales.

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What did target look like back in the 1970s and 1980s? I found an old commercial that aired in the Twin Ports in the 1970s. Wow, the advertising has come a long way since then.

Also, check out this stock news footage of what Target looked like in the 1980s. The red shirt and khaki combo wasn't even a normal thing yet!