Target Corp. Follows Competitors Lead Again

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has always placed an emphasis on maximizing value for consumers and selling the kinds of basics that working families need. But that doesn’t mean that Walmart isn’t a trendsetter.

Take the recent announcement that Target Corp., the second-largest retailer in the U.S., is asking suppliers to remove more than 600 potentially harmful ingredients from their consumer products offerings. While this is likely a good move on Target’s part, it’s old hat for Walmart.

Of course, Walmart is no stranger to such policies.

Brian Sansoni, a spokesman for the American Cleaning Institute, said Walmart started working with suppliers on eliminating potentially toxic ingredients from the products sold in its stores back in 2009, according to a recent Bloomberg article.

“That process intensified two years ago when Walmart said it would require manufacturers to phase out 10 undisclosed substances from products,” according to the piece, co-written by Lauren Coleman-Lochner and Shannon Pettypiece.

But this isn’t the first time that Target has taken inspiration from Walmart. Earlier this year, Walmart announced its plans to raise entry-level wages for store associates. Target and other retailers quickly followed suit:

“We make sure we’re competitive in every marketplace in which we do business,” Molly Snyder, a Target spokeswoman, told Fortune in March. “As part of that, we regularly and continually evaluate the marketplace to make sure our wages are competitive.”

When Q2 earnings were announced this summer, analysts made much of the fact that Target seemed to be making a comeback while Walmart’s earnings showed signs of stagnation. At the same time, other analysts pointed out that Walmart is undergoing significant changes and making huge investments not only in its workforce, but also in its online and mobile offerings. Over time, these changes in investments can reap profits for Walmart.

Target is also undergoing changes, particularly after experiencing several setbacks over the past few years. There were problems with Target’s website being able to handle traffic loads when introducing new fashion collections, the disastrous data breach in 2013, significant changes in its executive staff and the decision to withdraw entirely from the Canadian market.

Both companies are trying to define, and re-define themselves during this transitional period for retail. It’s too soon to say whether their business model changes are successful.

But the other, more interesting thing to track is who plays the role of leader — and who follows. So far, Walmart has taken initiative in several key areas, providing inspiration to many businesses, and not just within the retail industry. Time will tell whether Target will be able to do the same.