Target is adding an in-store snack bar, echoing a Costco format that leans on impulse buys

Target is moving to replicate a familiar Costco playbook by rolling out a new in-store snack bar, according to a report from Yahoo Finance carried by TheStreet. The idea is straightforward: give shoppers a reason to linger in the store and make it easier to add an unplanned food purchase to a routine basket.

The snack bar concept described in the report is positioned as an in-store destination, similar in function to Costco’s well-known food court model. While the warehouse retailer’s approach is built around high-traffic, quick service dining, the competitive takeaway for Target is the same, convert foot traffic into incremental sales through lower-friction, grab-and-go options.

The strategy reflects how big-box retailers increasingly compete on experience as much as on price. Grocery-adjacent categories, including prepared foods and snacks, can be a useful lever for retailers because they tend to be purchased more frequently than many other discretionary items, and because they can raise per-trip spend even when customers come in for essentials.

For Target, which operates stores designed around a broad mix of discretionary retail plus essentials, an in-store snack bar can also help smooth the retail journey. Food counters create a visible “next stop” inside the store, and a nearby impulse offer can reduce the need for shoppers to leave the premises to find refreshments.

Costco’s food court has long served as a benchmark within the industry for how a retailer can monetize foot traffic without transforming the store into a full restaurant experience. Costco’s model typically emphasizes speed and value, and it encourages repeat visits because shoppers associate the store trip with a predictable, inexpensive option to eat on-site.