For my MKT 345 Consumer Behavior final project, I selected Target and will focus specifically on its beauty category. I chose Target because it is a company that I am familiar with as a consumer, and I think it provides an interesting example of how a retailer appeals to customers with different needs, lifestyles, and budgets. Target has built a reputation around offering convenience while also giving customers access to products that feel stylish, current, and affordable.

Why I Chose Target

One reason I selected Target is because of the variety it offers. A customer can shop for groceries, clothing, home items, personal care products, and beauty products all in the same place or through Target’s website and app. This creates many opportunities to study what influences a consumer’s purchasing decisions.

Target also has a strong financial and retail presence. According to Target’s 2025 annual report, the company generated approximately $104.8 billion in net sales during the year (Target Corporation, 2026). This makes Target an interesting company to study because even small changes in consumer preferences and buying habits can have an impact on a retailer of this size.

My Selected Category: Beauty

The category I chose is beauty, which includes products such as makeup, skincare, hair care, and fragrance. I selected beauty because consumer decisions in this category can be influenced by many factors, including price, product quality, brand reputation, social media, trends, personal preferences, and recommendations from other consumers.

Beauty is also changing as consumers become more focused on value, wellness, and products that meet their individual needs. McKinsey reports that today’s beauty consumers are paying closer attention to whether products actually deliver the value and results they promise. Product quality has also become one of the most important considerations in beauty purchasing decisions.

Digital shopping will also be important to my analysis. NielsenIQ reported that beauty sales continued to grow in 2025 and that online beauty sales were increasing significantly faster than in-store sales. This makes me interested in looking at how online reviews, social media, digital promotions, and convenience may influence Target beauty customers.

Resources for My Consumer Behavior Analysis

I plan to use the following three resources throughout my consumer behavior analysis:

1. Target Corporation Annual Report
Target’s annual report will give me company-specific information about its financial performance, merchandise categories, business strategy, and overall retail operations.

2. NielsenIQ – State of Beauty 2025
NielsenIQ will help me research current beauty market trends, changes in consumer shopping behavior, online purchasing, wellness trends, and the growth of the beauty industry.

3. McKinsey & Company – State of Beauty 2025
McKinsey’s research will help me better understand consumer attitudes toward beauty products, purchasing priorities, perceived value, market segmentation, and changing beauty preferences.

Using these sources will allow me to look beyond what Target sells and focus more closely on why consumers make the beauty purchases they do. Throughout this project, I want to better understand how factors such as price, quality, convenience, social media, brand loyalty, and personal values influence Target beauty consumers throughout the buying process.

References

McKinsey & Company. (2025, June 9). State of beauty 2025: Solving a shifting growth puzzle.

NielsenIQ. (2025, October 1). NIQ’s state of beauty 2025: Beauty breaks boundaries with 10% growth, digital surge & wellness shift.

Target Corporation. (2026). 2025 annual report.