Walmart and Target say they are changing their stores to make life easier for you

BusinessWalmart and Target are changing store layouts.Seth Perlman/APIt’s been a long-held tradition that stores are designed to get as much merchandise in front of shoppers as possible, even if the layout is not the easiest for customers.“That’s why grocery chains usually have their dairy cases in the back corner,” said an article by The Street. “A lot of shoppers buy milk, and even if that’s all you need, you will be exposed to lots of other items you might buy along the way. In many cases, stores are not set up for ease of shopping. They’re designed to maximize how much you spend.”Walmart and Target are spending big bucks to redesign stores “to make it easier for customers to find what they want,” the article said. Target announced in May a $5 billion plan to remodel some of its stores, while opening 30 new ones. One of goals of the remodel is to make in-person shopping closer to the experience of buying online.“We’re evolving our stores in ways that reflect how guests shop today — from more intuitive layouts to expanded assortments — while also strengthening the role our stores play in fulfillment and our long-term growth,” said Laurie Mahowald, senior vice president, Target Properties, in a press release. https://corporate.target.com/news-features/article/2026/05/target-store-remodels-new-stores-strategyWalmart is also changing its stores.“We’re also focused on positioning more in-demand inventory closer to our customers through things like remodels, new fulfillment centers, new stores and better inventory management and better inventory flow,” said Walmart U.S. CEO David Guggina.He told The Street that “stores need to make shopping easy and be designed to support the company’s digital sales.” Read the full article in The Street here.Kelly Kazek is an award-winning journalist and author who writes about trends in business and retail news. She is the author of more than 28 books for children and adults. Kelly previously wrote about Southern...