Target Names New Stores Chief

Target (Minneapolis) has promoted Adrienne Costanzo to Chief Stores Officer. She will replace Mark Schindele, who is retiring after 25 years with the retailer.

Target made that announcement in a news release that also detailed its preliminary sales results for the just-completed holiday season. Compared with its third quarter sales trends, the company said it saw “a meaningful acceleration in discretionary categories during the holiday timeframe, most notably in apparel and toys, and saw continued strength in beauty and frequency categories.”

“Our team delivered continued traffic growth and better-than-expected holiday-season performance, thanks to their focus on serving guests with an inspiring, easy, and joyous shopping experience,” said Brian Cornell, Chair and CEO. “With an unmatched combination of quality and value, on-trend assortments and a seamless shopping experience, our team continues to make Target a destination for consumers, both during important seasonal moments like the holidays and in the everyday moments in between.”

As for Costanzo’s promotion, she will succeed Schindele on Feb. 2. Her job will involve leading more than 350,000 store team members and overseeing operations of the retailer’s nearly 2000 locations across the United States. Costanzo has more than 20 years of experience leading teams and driving business results across Target’s stores, human resources and merchandising functions. (See the news release for several other executive changes made by the retailer.)