MINNEAPOLIS, MN - While we in the produce industry know that the star of the grocery store is the fruit and veg we work so hard to grow, promote, and push into shoppers’ baskets, it’s nice to know retailers around the industry are zeroing their formats to showcase this as well. Last month, Walmart wrapped up the month by unveiling plans to redesign its fresh produce department, and now Target is following suit.

In an interview with Yahoo! Finance, Chairman and CEO Brian Cornell dished on the burgeoning grocer’s latest efforts to revamp its produce aisle to better compete in the grocery market.

“It’s a Target of new, and it’s an area we put a lot of focus on, elevating our quality, improving our sourcing, and changing the in-store experience,” Cornell revealed about Target’s fresh food department. “And when you pull it all together, I think it’s a really exciting change for us…The guests absolutely love shopping this section.”

This led the Yahoo! Finance interviewer to ask, “Is Target legitimately in grocery now?”—a question that has been on much of the industry’s mind in the years since the retailer made its first foray into fresh produce. This question has, arguably, been one of the reasons Target has made such a grandiose effort to overhaul its grocery options in order to be recognized as a serious contender amongst long-standing grocery chains.

"I think we provide everything [shoppers] need," Cornell answered. "We don’t have the endless aisles or massive assortments, but we have all of what our guests need in their pantry each and every day—and in great quality, with great value—we price right daily—and you can see the traffic we have in the store."

As more retailers showcase the bounty and beauty of fresh produce, AndNowUKnow will keep sending the most breaking news the industry’s way.

Target