Target Corp. is curbing its promotion of numerous processed food items as part of a broader overhaul of its grocery strategy.
The Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday that Target informed officials from General Mills, Kellogg, Campbell Soup and other iconic food brands in recent months about its plans to cut back on advertising of their products.
Reports earlier this year said new Target chief Brian Cornell intended to boost its grocery performance -- which lagged following a dramatic expansion in 2008 -- in part by adding more foods labeled as organic or natural.
Target also singled out seven categories for increased promotion in an effort to court younger, more diverse customers, including yogurt and granola, coffee and produce.
Increased shelf space for those items could come at the expense of cereals, soups and other categories that have languished amid consumer shifts toward healthier options.
“That doesn’t mean that mac and cheese is being eliminated, but clearly assortment is being shaped around what consumers are looking for,” Cornell told the Journal about Target's new grocery direction.
