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FORTUNE.COM // SEPTEMBER 2019
HE ROOM WAS NO BIGGER than a walk-in closet, a
tight fit for Target CEO Brian Cornell and the
team of executives and support staff who were
sharing it. Sketchy air circulation made the room
feel even more claustrophobic. And its cable-TV
feed didn’t work—which meant the gang couldn’t
tune in to see just how badly Wall Street talking
heads were freaking out about Target’s stock.
The chamber, a “greenroom” at a former
church turned event space on Manhattan’s Park Avenue, was an uncom-
fortable place to share an uncomfortable moment. It was Feb. 28, 2017;
the executives were waiting to address Target’s annual investor meeting.
About an hour earlier, Target had pressed the “Send” button on a news
release announcing a make-or-break revival plan for the massive butT
Big-Box
Rebound:
How TargetPackageda turnaroundIn 2017, the struggling megachain spooked Wall Street and earned mockery
in the retail world by committing billions to revamping its stores. That Hail Mary
pass connected for a touchdown: Today, more-inviting shopping floors and
smoother e-commerce have turned Target into a winner again. By Phil WahbaPACK AND PLAY Prepping
orders for delivery at a
Target in Burnsville, Minn.
Involving stores in online
orders helps the company
earn more profit from
e-commerce.