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George Draper Dayton : Target Corporation And The Second Largest Discount Retailer Essay

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In 1902, George Draper Dayton founded Dayton Dry Goods Company in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Today, it is called Target Corporation and is the second largest discount retailer. In 1911 Dayton decided to change the name of the company to Dayton Company. George Dayton’s had high beliefs in stewardship hence he founded “Dayton Foundation” in 1918 by endowing $1 million (which is equivalent to more than $15 million today) to provide aid and welfare to mankind anywhere in the world. George Draper Dayton said, “Success is making ourselves useful in the world, valuable to society, helping in lifting in the level of humanity, so conducting ourselves that when we go the world will be somewhat better of our having lived the brief span of our lives.” (Target 2016)
In early 1960 Dayton Department Store Company decides to launch a new discount chain store. They announced that “the new store, will combine the best of the fashion world with the best of the discount world, a quality store with quality merchandise at discount prices, and a discount supermarket… 75 departments in all.” (Target, 2016)
In 1962, after debating more than 200 names for the new retail store, the former Dayton’s Director of Publicity Steward Widdess and his team comes up with “Target” and the Bullseye logo. The reasoning behind the choice was, "As a marksman 's goal is to hit the center bulls-eye, the new store would do much the same in terms of retail goods, services, commitment to the community, price, value and

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