• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Even as Elon Musk calls philanthropy ‘very hard,’ everyday Americans gave a record $617 billion—despite feeling the squeeze over the cost of living

2

Egg companies made $1.22 billion in profit off a $6 carton — now they’re buying their way out of a price-fixing case with 53 million donated eggs

3

Shark Tank's Kevin O'Leary says if he were 25 today, he'd chase these two booming opportunities in the world of AI

1

Even as Elon Musk calls philanthropy ‘very hard,’ everyday Americans gave a record $617 billion—despite feeling the squeeze over the cost of living

2

Egg companies made $1.22 billion in profit off a $6 carton — now they’re buying their way out of a price-fixing case with 53 million donated eggs

3

Shark Tank's Kevin O'Leary says if he were 25 today, he'd chase these two booming opportunities in the world of AI
Target

Target Doubles Down on Healthy, Eco-Friendly Products

Phil Wahba
By
Phil Wahba
Phil Wahba
Senior Writer
Down Arrow Button Icon
Phil Wahba
By
Phil Wahba
Phil Wahba
Senior Writer
Down Arrow Button Icon
March 9, 2016, 12:02 AM ET
Target Store
Photograph by Lucas Oleniuk Toronto Star — Getty Images
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

In Year Three of its “Made to Matter” product collection, Target (TGT) is redoubling its focus on selling environmentally friendly and healthy items as it seeks to stand out from other general retailers.

In 2014, Target launched “Made to Matter,” a group of 100 products placed together in a prominent part of the store, to highlight exclusive, good-for-you products from primarily emerging brands that are also environmentally sustainable, organic, and natural. Target wanted to burnish its reputation as the go-to store for healthier options and cater to customers who makes those considerations a priority.

This year, the cohort includes products like Yes To facial wipes, which uses recycled material in its packaging, and Babyganics’ natural wool dryer balls that are free of toxic chemicals. Other products focus on things like allergen restrictions (pockets by General Mills’ (GIS) Annie’s, made with golden pea butter, rather than peanut butter) and reduced sugar, like Ripple’s plant-based milk. In all, the Made to Matter’s 100 products come from 20 different brands.

Made to Matter logo

In and of itself, Made to Matter barely moves the needle for Target: last year, the brands showcased (and not just the specific products) collectively had sales of $1 billion; that’s a drop in the bucket for a retailer that had $73 billion in sales last year, though it’s on par with sales from some of Target’s larger house brands.

Nevertheless, Made to Matter is key to helping Target brand itself as a destination for wellness, one of the four priority areas CEO Brian Cornell has said he wants to company to excel at. Wellness, along with style (home goods and apparel) and kids and baby products, collectively saw comparable sales rise three times faster than the company overage during the holiday quarter. The Made to Matter effort also dovetails with other goals at Target, ranging from improving its fresh food assortment to a partnership with SoulCycle.

“When you take all of those things collectively, that’s what helps to share the understanding that Target is committed to wellness,” Target Chief Marketing Officer Jeff Jones told Fortune in an interview. And offering a point of differentiation is key as everyone—from CVS Health (CVS) to Walmart (WMT), among others—is making wellness a top priority.

 

 

This year, though, Target has narrowed down the Made to Matter collection’s offerings. Last year, Made to Matter included 200 items from 30 brands, but Jones said that was too much and diluted the impact of the program. Some 13 brands that were in Made to Matter last year are back, including Annie’s Homegrown, Ella’s Kitchen, and Plum Organics. Almost half the lineup will be on Target shelves this spring, a roll-out that will be completed by September.

The brands in the current lineup had to meet one of five criteria: reduced waste or packaging, closed loop systems, clean label, dietary/allergen restrictions, and reduced sugar.

“This helps us tell the story about differentiation, that we have always been a brand that helped bring things to the masses first,” says Jones.

About the Author
Phil Wahba
By Phil WahbaSenior Writer
LinkedIn iconTwitter icon

Phil Wahba is a senior writer at Fortune primarily focused on leadership coverage, with a prior focus on retail.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in

After a nearly 800% explosion, this AI stock’s U.S. debut could signal if the market can still boom—or is headed for a bust
AItech stocks
After a nearly 800% explosion, this AI stock’s U.S. debut could signal if the market can still boom—or is headed for a bust
By Jason MaJuly 5, 2026
3 hours ago
Humanoid robot holding soccer ball.
InnovationSports
Meet the soccer-playing humanoid robot that just delivered the game ball at the Brazil v. Norway FIFA World Cup match
By Catherina GioinoJuly 5, 2026
5 hours ago
The supertanker tycoon making millions on Hormuz shuttle runs
EnergyShipping
The supertanker tycoon making millions on Hormuz shuttle runs
By Weilun Soon, Alex Longley, Anthony Di Paola and BloombergJuly 5, 2026
5 hours ago
FIFA allows U.S. star Balogun to play Belgium despite red card
North AmericaSoccer
FIFA allows U.S. star Balogun to play Belgium despite red card
By Yash Roy, Maria Paula Mijares Torres and BloombergJuly 5, 2026
5 hours ago
Alibaba gets reprieve on lobbying ban tied to DoD blacklist
LawChina
Alibaba gets reprieve on lobbying ban tied to DoD blacklist
By Kate O'Keeffe and BloombergJuly 5, 2026
6 hours ago
The stock market is about to suffer a ‘snapback’ and will lose much of this year’s gains as ‘speculation is hitting extreme levels,’ BofA warns
InvestingS&P 500
The stock market is about to suffer a ‘snapback’ and will lose much of this year’s gains as ‘speculation is hitting extreme levels,’ BofA warns
By Jason MaJuly 5, 2026
6 hours ago

Most Popular

Even as Elon Musk calls philanthropy ‘very hard,’ everyday Americans gave a record $617 billion—despite feeling the squeeze over the cost of living
Success
Even as Elon Musk calls philanthropy ‘very hard,’ everyday Americans gave a record $617 billion—despite feeling the squeeze over the cost of living
By Preston ForeJuly 4, 2026
2 days ago
Egg companies made $1.22 billion in profit off a $6 carton — now they’re buying their way out of a price-fixing case with 53 million donated eggs
Law
Egg companies made $1.22 billion in profit off a $6 carton — now they’re buying their way out of a price-fixing case with 53 million donated eggs
By Wyatte Grantham-Philips and The Associated PressJuly 2, 2026
3 days ago
Shark Tank's Kevin O'Leary says if he were 25 today, he'd chase these two booming opportunities in the world of AI
AI
Shark Tank's Kevin O'Leary says if he were 25 today, he'd chase these two booming opportunities in the world of AI
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJuly 5, 2026
13 hours ago
Meet the Zillennials: The luckiest micro-generation in the workforce, born between 1993 and 1998
AI
Meet the Zillennials: The luckiest micro-generation in the workforce, born between 1993 and 1998
By Nick LichtenbergJuly 3, 2026
3 days ago
The stock market is about to suffer a 'snapback' and will lose much of this year's gains as 'speculation is hitting extreme levels,' BofA warns
Investing
The stock market is about to suffer a 'snapback' and will lose much of this year's gains as 'speculation is hitting extreme levels,' BofA warns
By Jason MaJuly 5, 2026
6 hours ago
Mark Zuckerberg takes business calls on a jet ski wearing his $800 Meta glasses—and insists 'the other person could not tell'
Big Tech
Mark Zuckerberg takes business calls on a jet ski wearing his $800 Meta glasses—and insists 'the other person could not tell'
By Sydney LakeJuly 5, 2026
14 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.