Target Goes "Bananas" to Keep Up with Wal-Mart

Anne D'Innocenzio and Emily Frederix of The Columbus Dispatch report that, Wal-Mart, is rapidly picking up new shoppers as its powerful low-cost message resonates in the recession. So, Minneapolis-based Target plans to stock more fresh food, including bananas, and play up its low prices.

Meanwhile, Wal-Mart, the world's largest retailer, is expanding its selection of nonessentials, such as home furnishings, and improving the quality of store-brand food such as thin-crust pizza and ice cream.

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While Target wants to keep its innovative edge, for growth, it is clearly turning to groceries, including the introduction late last year in some of its general merchandise stores of prepackaged perishables such as bananas and bagged lettuce. It plans to expand the concept to 100 new or remodeled stores by year's end and to most of its new or remodeled stores in the next three years.

Will Target become the black horse in this retail race for customers? Could we see more families turning to local supermarkets for essentials?