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1997 Fools: PAUL PRESSLER NAMED CEO OF TARGET STORES
Subject: PAUL PRESSLER NAMED CEO OF TARGET STORES From: "Al Lutz" <alweho@aol.com> Date: 1997/04/01 Message-Id: <01bc3e71$b57065c0$2fc893cf@allutz> Organization: AT&T WorldNet Services Reply-To: "Al Lutz" <alweho.NOSPAM@aol.com> Newsgroups: alt.disney.disneyland,rec.arts.disney.misc,rec.arts.disney.parks Gosh gang, I was flipping through my e-mail box and found this very exciting press release, postmarked April 1st. I just couldn't believe it! ;) [begin press release] PAUL PRESSLER NAMED CEO OF TARGET STORES Former Disneyland president promises exciting future for leading discount retailer. [PR Newswires] - April 1, 1997 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MINNEAPOLIS NE - Yllis Loof, chairman of the board for Target Stores Inc. has just announced the appointment today [April 1st] of Paul Pressler to the position of chief executive officer for the company. Pressler was formerly president of the Disneyland Resort Complex in Anaheim California. Before that he established and then ran the very successful Disney Stores division. "I can't tell you how thrilled I am to have someone of this caliber join our organization." Loof was quoted as saying, "For several years now Paul has been diligently working to bring new merchandising concepts and marketing ideas to the Disney organization. His particular experience in studying the Wal-Mart organizational and merchandising model, and his implementing of those same concepts at the Disneyland Resort have duly impressed all of us here at Target. His ideas are welcome here in our bid to vault ahead as a leader in the discount retailing industry." THEMED MERCHANDISNG AT TARGET "I'm pleased that I can introduce the Target Stores to a new era in what I like to call, "Themed Merchandising" Pressler said, "Already I'm introducing many new and exciting items to the product mix at the stores to generate immediate sales results. For example, battery-lighted Glow Swords and Glow Roses have proven to be popular items at Disneyland Park. So we have, almost overnight, installed giant new bins and carts in the check-out areas of each Target location to sell these items now. The force is with us I'd say! It's great to say that I am hoping that so long as I and my imagination are around in the world that Target will never be completed - as far as merchandising is concerned..." NEW TARGET ANNUAL PASSHOLDERS PROGRAM Pressler also commented "I am also working on creating a special new shopping experience - the Target Annual Passholder Program. Basically we will offer two new passes to our valued shoppers, which will grant special shopping privileges." [Complete information explaining the new Target Stores admission fee program was not available in time for this press release.] "For example." Pressler continued, "a Regular Target Annual Pass will entitle the shopper to enter our store with no additional charge on every day except for 10 blackout days. For a small additional fee these regular Passholders can upgrade to a Premium Pass, which eliminates blackout days and actually allows them to attend our special sales, like the ones we normally hold after Christmas." [Currently the only blackout days announced for this year are Dec 26 thru Jan. 2nd.] Of course parking is included with the new passes - but handicapped spaces will now be charged an additional fee. "I am very pleased I can charge for handicapped parking now," Mr. Pressler commented, "because I feel that people in wheelchairs are pretty much faking it for the most part. I mean, really, who in California is really handicapped? I always see Mercedes and Jags parked in those spaces. We shouldn't even bother with a handicapped sign, we should just put a gold Kugurand as the symbol. Those kind of people robbed Disneyland blind, but they won't get away with it here at Target." "Anyway, costs for the Pass program will be minimal," Pressler said, "since there will only be one person per store in charge of running it. I was especially delighted to find out during our research into this that we can also utilize this same person to bag everyone's purchases at the same time at all the checkout lines." Yllis Loof was also excited about the new Passholders concept and especially Mr. Pressler's labor saving concepts. "Paul's ability to run the Target Stores like he did the Disneyland Resort, with an absolute minimum of staff, brings no end of joy to the board of directors. Imagine how much larger our stockholder dividend will be, not to mention the increases in bonuses for us on the board." Loof continued, "Yes, maybe the customers may have to wait a wee bit longer to check out - but as Paul has so ably proven at Disneyland - long lines aren't really the problem, you just ignore them! I myself was stunned for example that he got customers to pay hundreds of dollars for those Disneyland Annual Passports and they STILL had to wait in line weekends for hours on end to process them. Not to mention once he got the cash out of them he never needed to follow up with any of the mailings and such that were promised. It's a bright boy we got here." FOOD COURTS TO BE BUILT AT TARGET Mr. Pressler is also excited about the new food services he will offer at Target. "At Disneyland I never really got to implement the large scale food courts I am so fond of," he said, "considering the typical Target shopper, I finally have found the perfect place to expand on those concepts." New menu items planned include food items larger than customer's heads and the introduction of premium priced popcorn. "Why shouldn't a Target Shopper also pay five dollars for a bucket of the stuff?" he's commented. With these planned changes, "Some people will feel I am limiting the selection available," Pressler commented, "and yes, I am cutting back on certain items. (I mean seriously, who needs THREE sizes of Icees - everyone always buys the jumbo size don't they?) But once they see what we've been able to accomplish they won't even notice the trebling of prices on everything. Honest." PLUSH - AN IMPORTANT ELEMENT IN THE TARGET MERCHANDISING EXPERIENCE Another new addition to "Team Target," merchandising buyer Ann Dale, (who was also previously working with Mr. Pressler at the Disneyland Resort) is also an integral part of the exciting and re-thinking of the Target Merchandising Experience. "We've discovered that Target is vastly under-merchandised when it comes to plush items. I can't tell you how excited I am talking to suppliers and challenging them to provide us with more plush to sell at Target. I won't be satisfied until every store is brimming with the stuff." Among exciting new lines Ms. Dale is pioneering will be even cheaper T-Shrits and plush microwave ovens. "We are working with contacts I still have at the Walt Disney licensing divisions to make these appliances Pooh themed" Ms Dale commented. "Imagine squeezing up to Winnie while he zaps your instant coffee in the morning, isn't that great!" She will also supervise an expansion of the fuzzy bath accessories section of the stores. "Anything squeezable that can be marked way up to provide us with higher margins, I just adore!" she squealed. "Yes, it IS a brand new shopping era at Target" Yllis Loof commented, "the fresh new ideas Paul brings to our organization, along with some of the key people he brings along to us, will only lead to even higher plateaus for the Target organization." "This IS the company where I will make a mark for myself," responded Pressler, "I've learned something very important while running the Disneyland Resort that I will bring to this new job - that you CAN offer less and charge more, WAY more, than anyone else. Why, it's our duty as shopkeepers to do so. And that's what I'm proud of being, one of the best shopkeepers on the planet." Contact PR NEWSWIRES for further information regarding this press release. [612-555-1212] [end press release] Enjoy your day gang! I'm heading over to Target right now! ;) Al -- Al Lutz -- (alweho@aol.com) -- FDC & TDC "Deluxe" Chrome Buzz Lightyear Author of D-I-G - (Disneyland Info Guide) http://members.aol.com/alweho PROMOTE PRESSLER! - http://members.aol.com/alweho/pressler/pressler.htm "Strange how potent cheap music can be" (Noel Coward's "Private Lives")
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