The Beginning of a Mega Company

Target was founded in 1902 by George Dayton as Good Fellow Dry Goods. The name was later changed to Dayton Dry Goods, and it was shortened to Dayton Company in 1911. It first became known as Target in 1962 when Dayton Company opened its first Target store on May 11th as a discounted version of Dayton's Department Store. In 1969, Dayton expanded its department store operations by merging with the J.L. Hudson Company to become the Dayton Hudson Corporation. In 1975, Target took off as its annual sales reached one billion dollars. Target continued to grow, and by 1990, Target had opened the Greatland Target, which offered a wider range of merchandise than the previous standard Target. Five years later, in 1995, they opened their first Super Target, which included a grocery store, a photography studio, a pharmacy, and restaurants. To reflect a new focus on its Target stores, Dayton-Hudson changed its name in 2000 to Target Corporation. By the end of the 20th century, Target had distinguished itself from its competitors and became the Target we know today.