Target to Offer More Brands, LED and IPTVs on a Do-It-Yourself Buying Wall

See ya! I’m going to Target to pick up some towels, potting soil, socks and—oh, yeah—a 55-inch LED TV.

If you are looking for an alternative to Best Buy for purchasing your new television, Target is hoping to lure you away to its newly designed TV department that now also offers installation services like the big electronics stores.

By June, Target will be completing the expansion of its electronics departments, including an educational TV wall that will offer what it calls a “more realistic in-home presentation.”

Easier Self Serve

Target’s plan is to create a Do-It-Yourself buying wall where TVs will be grouped together, making it easier to compare picture quality and style. Signs will highlight each product’s features.  Accessories will be displayed below the TVs, rather than three aisles over, to make it easier to find cables and other needed extras.

They Offer Installation Like the Big Boys

For those who want delivery or installation, typically offered only at dedicated electronics stores, Target is offering Zip Express in-home installation services.  A customer can purchase a Zip Express installation and call, or go to the Zip Express website, to schedule a delivery time for services, with a choice of a 24-hour or one-week window.  Certified, local, private home-theater installers do the installations under contract with Zip Express.

More High-End Brands-Sony, LG, Samsung…

Along with the redesign of its TV departments, Target will offer a broader choice of products, including larger screen sizes, LED TVs, and internet-connectable TVs. Currently, Target offers televisions from Samsung, Panasonic, Vizio and Philips.  We are waiting to hear if they will announce new brands to compete with Walmart’s recent addition of LG, Sony and Samsung TVs.

A company spokesperson said that women find it less intimidating to shop in Target’s TV department. Shoppers can buy a TV in the comfort of a store where they are already getting clothing, beauty supplies and household items, she said, and they don’t face perceived pressure from high-tech salespeople using technical jargon.

With easier, guided comparison-shopping, installation services and expanded TV offerings, Target clearly hopes to grab more customers who are in search of not only their second televisions, but also their main big screens.    We’ll find out this summer how well they execute the do-it-yourself educational wall, and how well customers react to buying their TVs from Target.