How Target's Grocery Department Is Changing In 2026

As soon as you see it, you probably recognize the red and white bullseye as Target's logo. Although the first store opened with it in 1962, the logo underwent a modernized redesign in 1968 and has remained largely unchanged ever since. The same isn't true for its store interiors, though, which is a good thing. Since 2000, Target has reinvented its fast, fun, and friendly atmosphere. It now focuses on style and design to deliver an elevated shopping experience while providing inspiration and value to customers. With the company being among the grocery chains expected to take over in 2026, loyal shoppers may be excited about the updates coming to its grocery department.

Many shoppers only supplement their regular grocery purchases with food and beverages from Target because the grocery section in most locations is too small to carry everything they need. Although the chain doesn't aim to be an everything grocer, customers may be able to get even more of what they need from the stores as the style and design are updated and the footprint of the grocery section expands over 2026 and beyond. With the expanded footprint, shoppers can expect to find more items that fall in line with wellness trends and an increased variety of products overall. Let's delve deeper into exactly what to expect from each of these Target grocery department changes.

As of the end of 2025, Target had 1,995 stores, and it wasted no time increasing that number to more than 2,000 in early 2026 with a total of 30 new openings planned for the year. The company has earmarked about $5 billion to put toward these openings, as well as more than 130 full-store remodels across the country.

Throughout these stores, including the grocery sections, the company will be implementing specialty lighting with LED fixtures and stylish décor to bring together its vision for an elevated shopping experience. These locations will also have new signage to make navigating while shopping easier and faster for its customers.

Target chief executive officer Michael Fiddelke said in a press release, "This work is underway, and by putting style, design and value at the center of every decision, we're making big changes to lead with a trend-forward assortment, elevate the guest experience, accelerate with technology and equip our teams to deliver the most delightful experience in retail, for today and over the long term."

Part of the plan layout for the new and remodeled stores includes grocery departments with larger footprints, too. In fact, the 2,000th store in Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina, just opened in March 2026 with a grocery section that's 30% bigger than Target's average. This department expansion will allow the stores to carry a more extensive selection of owned and national food and beverage products, so customers may find more foods to always buy at Target.

Some of the extensive selection of food and beverage products that will fill the larger grocery department will better align with wellness trends. According to executive vice president and chief merchandising officer Cara Sylvester in an earnings call, 70% of Target customers shop the store's wellness categories, and 40% say they look for new foods. That's why the company will be adding "thousands of new items" to this category, including more products that will be exclusively sold at the chain.

Target has already started implementing that effort, too, with the addition of about 1,500 new items across all of its wellness categories during the first quarter of 2026. And, as of May 2026, it transitioned its entire assortment of cereals to include only those that don't contain certified synthetic colors, making it one of the first retailers in the country to do so. This shift even applies to all of the cereals it sells online.

Over the rest of the year, the chain plans to revitalize about 40% of its wellness assortment to further set itself apart from other grocery retailers and give customers the newness they crave. Some products customers can expect include exclusive ButcherBox grass-fed beef (which make great gifts for grilling enthusiasts); on-the-go protein items from Bloom, FlavCity, and other brands; functional beverages, such as Protein Pop and RYZE mushroom coffee; and non-alcoholic cocktails. The variety will expand among its owned brands as well.

The goal with this plan is to enhance the company's unique identity. By infusing Target's design authority and style into the grocery department, the company is creating "a truly distinctive grocery destination where emerging brands, wellness, and own brands intersect," Sylvester explained.

Target's Good & Gather wellness brand is on track to be its first owned brand to achieve $4 billion in sales, said Cara Sylvester in the March earnings call, so the company intends to continue growing it. However, that private brand isn't the only focus. The chain is also likely to expand its indulgent Favorite Day brand, too, which Daily Meal found to have the best store-bought chocolate croissants.

In a May earnings call, though, Sylvester noted that the chain is set to implement the "largest transition in over a decade, resetting nearly half of our center store grocery assortment, accelerating our pace of newness by nearly 50%." She also said that, as part of a "Food Forward strategy," 3,000 new food and beverage products were introduced to its stores in the first quarter of 2026.

Additionally, the company said in a press release that it intends to expand the dry grocery selection, including "everyday essentials and pantry staples," as part of its greater effort to provide a more elevated shopping experience in its new and remodeled stores. Some of the locations will even see an expansion to the fresh and frozen sections in the grocery department, positioning Target as more of a one-stop shop for food and beverage.

Target Properties senior vice president Laurie Mahowald said that the goal is to make the stores a more inspiring and even easier shopping destination. "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," she added.