Target Express Expanding Strategy to Urban Markets, Customers - Term Paper Example

Introduction The core competencies of an organization or firm may be described as capabilities that are rare, costly to imitate and non-substitutable. Core competencies give a firm a competitive advantage over its rivals. A firm is distinguished competitively by the same and as such the core competencies reflect the company’s personality. Core competencies are developed over time through an organizational process of accumulating and learning how to deploy different resources and capabilities (Hitt et al. 86). DiscussionTarget Express has three core competencies: a superior guest service, a unique corporate culture and its unique system, better known as “The System” (Goldberg et al. 10). Superior guest service is achieved through the combination of a variety of resources such as the use of guest call buttons, mobile apps-Target app and Cartwheel, strategic placement of items on shelves, increased speed at checkout.

The involvement of almost all of the firm’s resources in improving guest service makes it difficult for the competitors to imitate because they may not have the exact similar resources as those available to Target Express. About the Target corporate culture, team members are used as the resources to achieve success. The corporate culture is different and distinct from any other companies. Since the corporate culture involves the employees of Target and their dedication specifically, it becomes very difficult for competitors to imitate the same (Goldberg et al. 41). Further, the corporate culture involves a bundle of resources which creates uniqueness and as such rendering it unsubstitutable.

“The System” on the other hand is composed of a variety of resources such as enormous databases used to store the client’s needs and several computers. The bundles of resources employed by The System and the linkages between them are rare. The System is inimitable due to the vast amount of programming involved, the bundles of resources that are linked together, path dependence and the causal ambiguity created in The System (Goldberg et al. 41). In light of Target Express’s desire of expansion into the urban markets, it is necessary that core competencies are either improved or acquired/exploited where previously non-existent.

Two of the core competencies that require improvement/acquisition are discussed as follows:Digital improvement of guest service There are plans to provide store employees with iPod Touches, which will help employees to keep track of inventory and thus enhance service delivery to the guests. The customers may also use the touches to select items in the various stores. IPads should replace the traditional product-scanning kiosks in order to enable customers browse online and send links to their Target app for later purchases.

Proximity of services to the consumers Recent migration trends indicate that guests/clients are continually moving towards urban centers. The loyal customers, who have changed their settlement locations, would love to have access to the company’s services. There is, therefore, need for Target Express to open up more stores in densely populated urban centers, raising the number to about 600. Conclusion Target Express could generate more revenue than the current figures depending on the improvement of existing and acquisition of new core competencies.

Further technological development and moving services closer to the consumers will go a long way toward meeting the firm’s objective of expanding into urban markets.Works CitedHitt, Michael A., and R. Duane Ireland. Strategic Management: Competitiveness and Globalization. 3rd ed. Cincinnati: South-Western College Pub., 1999. Print.Golberg, Katie, Nicole Mareck, Clint Hardy, Tom Hoeft, and John Noetzel. "Walmart and Target." Web. 8 Jan. 2015.