The Untold Truth Of Target

George Draper Dayton was a New Yorker who wanted to get into the store business, so he chose Minneapolis, Minn. in 1881 to open the Dayton Dry Goods Company, later becoming the Dayton Company department store chain. In 1961, the company announced that they would open up a discount store offshoot, saying that the new place would "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."

But they didn't know what to call it. They looked at over 200 possible choices for the name and logo, and decided that a target, complete with a bullseye logo, was the way to go. They explained the choice, saying, "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 overall experience."

The first Target opened in 1962, and while there have been a variety of logo styles over the years, the bullseye remains front and center. It is so recognizable that reportedly 93 percent of Americans who shop can identify the brand without the store name — just the logo!