Target Opens in the Hamptons, and Paints Itself Gray to Fit In

Target will open a 90,000-square-foot store in Bridgehampton, New York on October 11, its 109th location in the state and its first foothold in the Hamptons. To get there, the retailer had to give up the one visual cue that makes a Target a Target from a football field away: the red. The exterior uses a gray color scheme with a white wordmark and bullseye, gray bollards instead of red ones, and signage lit from above rather than internally illuminated, all to comply with the design standards of the Bridgehampton Commons shopping center where it is moving into the former Kmart building.

Target said it "worked closely with the town to ensure the store's exterior and signage fit naturally within the surrounding community," which is corporate-speak for accepting that a big-box retailer has to look like it belongs in the Hamptons before it is allowed to open one. The store will include a CVS Pharmacy and a Starbucks Cafe alongside Drive Up and Order Pickup service, the standard playbook for a Target designed to function as both a discount retailer and a neighborhood errand stop.

It is a small case study in a bigger truth about brand identity: sometimes the most recognizable color in retail is also the thing standing between a company and the real estate it wants. Target chose the real estate.

Kyle Duford, Founder & Editor, BRNDWIRE. More from Kyle →