Target Tops Trademark Filings Amid Private Label Growth
It's been tough sledding for Target the past couple of years as the retailer has seen sales lag behind those of key competitors.
But the shining star across the company has been the continued growth of its private label products, and the Minneapolis-based retailer earlier this year announced that more than 600 new items from its Good & Gather and Favorite Day owned brands would launch in 2025.
"New brands and brand refreshes are a key tool for helping us meet consumer needs," Rick Gomez, executive vice president and chief commercial officer with Target, said earlier this year.
The effort to expand its private label assortment is also a key factor in the retailer topping the list of companies filing trademark applications with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). A recent report in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune revealed that Target has filed 525 applications with the USPTO in 2024, with a spokesperson for the retailer confirming the effort was focused mostly on private labels.
Currently, Target has more than 40 private brands that accounted for $31 billion in sales this past year.
Target is not alone in its efforts to file trademarks. In 2024, Aldi had 255 applications, Walmart had 211 applications, and Lidl had 177 applications. The motivating factors behind the trademark applications of the three were not clear, but the product assortments at Aldi and Lidl largely consist of private label products. Walmart, which carries a broad selection of national brands and own brands, has in recent years expanded its private label assortment with the most notable addition being its bettergoods own brand.
As of early July, Target's private label assortment has grown with the addition of its Good & Gather Collabs assortment, which is focused on developing products with renowned chefs. The first line of frozen pizzas and appetizers with James Beard Award-winning Chef Ann Kim hit stores in March. The brand was expanded in June with the debut of Carolina-style appetizers, snacks, and sauces developed with James Beard Award-winning Pitmaster Rodney Scott.
In April, Target debuted its Good Little Garden floral own brand. Offering more than 60 options across seasonal and everyday assortments of fresh, colorful blooms and plants, prices in the new assortment start at $6 for bouquets of fresh-cut roses, tulips, carnations and mixed flowers.
