How Target Became a Key Player in Album Rollouts: ‘You Walk Away With More Than a Pink Album’

By prioritizing fandom with in-store experiences and exclusive merchandise, the retail giant has become a major part of an album campaign.

Taylor Swift and Target celebrate the Target Deluxe Exclusive Edition of "Red" on Oct. 22, 2012, in New York.

Jordan Strauss/Invision for Target/AP Images

Nearly two years ago, Target was reimagining how to best serve superfans across all sectors, from books and toys to sports and music. “One of the things that we started obsessing over is this idea that everyone is a fan of something, from Bluey to The Beatles and everything in between,” recalls Cassandra Jones, senior vp of merchandising.

That thread led to the late 2025 rebrand and launch of Fun 101, Target’s strategic merchandising initiative (formerly known as Hardlines). “It was this idea that we are the beginning of all this fun stuff and we’re here to serve everyone — not just the experts or those people who have access… Our guests are everywhere.”