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Target has opened a redesigned lower level at its Soho store in Manhattan, creating distinct shopping zones for home, wellness, toys, food and other everyday categories. Designed by Something Special Studios, the floor uses New York neighborhood references and the existing building’s architecture to shape the experience; Target describes the store as a place to test retail ideas.
Target has unveiled a redesigned lower level at its Soho store in Manhattan, turning everyday departments into distinct shopping destinations inspired by New York streetscapes and domestic spaces. The project, created with Something Special Studios, extends the store’s design-led approach to home, wellness, toys, food and beverage, while giving Target a setting to test retail ideas.
The lower level is organized around a central avenue formed by an existing row of columns in the cast-iron commercial building. The layout also responds to the site’s lightwell, escalators and column grid, with wider paths and sightlines intended to help shoppers move between zones. The design studio says the areas are differentiated through lighting, materials and architectural thresholds rather than hard partitions.
Several destinations draw on familiar city settings without reproducing them literally. Bullseye Loft uses home-like vignettes to display household products, while The Snack Bar takes cues from corner stores and newsstands. The wellness area is called Balance Mart, and the toy and entertainment zone is Explorers’ Lab. The report says these areas can feature trending brands, collaborations and seasonal products.
Materials include brushed and orbital-finished aluminum, tinted mirrors, glossy lacquer, fabric awnings and integrated lighting, with wood used to add warmth. The standard Target Red remains, alongside Cherry Stain Red, a custom color developed for the store. Target says Cherry Stain Red will also appear across the chain in its new Beauty Studio concept.
A Test Site for Target’s Store Design
The redesign matters beyond the appearance of one Manhattan store because Target describes the Soho location as a test-and-learn platform. The retailer says ideas developed there can inform other locations and concepts; the planned use of Cherry Stain Red in Beauty Studio is one stated example of a design element moving beyond Soho.
The project also shows how Target is trying to give routine shopping categories more distinctive settings without abandoning the practical needs of a large-format retailer. The design team says shoppers should still be able to enter, find a product and leave quickly, or spend more time exploring. That balance is the central test: whether themed zones can add interest while keeping the floor easy to shop.
For shoppers, the immediate change is a more curated lower level, not a reported change to Target’s product range or store format across the chain. The source material does not provide customer feedback, sales results or other performance measures, so it is too early to assess whether the redesign changes shopping behavior.
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From First-Floor Experiment to Lower Level
Target Soho is at the corner of Broadway and Houston Street. According to Gigi Guerra, Target’s vice president of marketing and creative curation, the location was conceived as a “living lab” for testing ideas about the future of retail. The store had introduced a redesigned first floor less than a year before the lower-level announcement; the report says the location had been open for 10 months at the time.
The new work extends that curated approach to everyday departments. New York- and Los Angeles-based Something Special Studios was commissioned to develop the lower level. Founder Michael Goldberg said the team looked to Soho’s historic character and continued reinvention, as well as local bodegas and compact apartments, for inspiration.
The store’s design is also shaped by the building rather than imposed on a blank floor. Its existing architectural features informed the route and organization, with the column row serving as the main spine. Target’s standard red ties the lower level to the wider brand, while the warmer palette and reflective, tactile finishes give the space a distinct identity.
“We’re rethinking each of these categories as destinations, making everyday shopping more intuitive, engaging, and full of unexpected discoveries.”
— Gigi Guerra, Target’s vice president of marketing, creative curation
Performance Results Remain Unreported
The report does not give an exact date when the lower level opened, nor does it include sales figures, customer research or other results showing how shoppers respond to the redesign. Target has described the location as a testing ground, but has not specified which elements, beyond Cherry Stain Red’s planned use in Beauty Studio, may be adopted elsewhere.
It is also unclear whether the themed destinations will change over time, how frequently products or displays will rotate, or whether Target plans similar lower-level redesigns at other stores. Statements about making shopping more intuitive and engaging are the retailer’s goals, not reported outcomes.
Target’s Next Retail Design Tests
The next stated step beyond Soho is the introduction of Cherry Stain Red in Target’s Beauty Studio concept. Target has not provided a rollout schedule or said whether other features from the lower level will be used in additional stores. Further information about the concept’s reach and the performance of the Soho floor could clarify how the retailer applies lessons from this test site.
For now, the redesigned lower level is operating as a more curated setting for everyday categories, while retaining the basic function of a Target store. The company’s next updates will show whether this approach remains specific to Soho or informs wider changes to its retail environments.
Key Questions
What changed at Target Soho?
Target redesigned the store’s lower level, creating distinct zones for categories including home, wellness, toys, food and beverage. The layout takes cues from New York neighborhood settings and the building’s existing architecture.
Who designed the lower-level redesign?
Something Special Studios, a studio based in New York and Los Angeles, worked on the project with Target.
What are the named shopping zones?
The reported destinations include Bullseye Loft for home products, The Snack Bar, Balance Mart for wellness, and Explorers’ Lab for toys and entertainment.
Will the design be used at other Target stores?
Target says Soho serves as a retail test-and-learn location, and Cherry Stain Red is planned for its Beauty Studio concept across the chain. The company has not said whether other parts of the lower-level design will be rolled out elsewhere.
Are there results showing whether the redesign is working?
The report provides no sales data, customer research or other performance results. Target and the design studio describe the intended experience, but the effect on shopper behavior remains unreported.
Source: design-milk.com
