Target Corporation (NYSE: TGT) is looking at every possible way to increase sales and discount store market share this year. Part of that plan will soon be to sell fresh food and products in up to 100 of its normal merchandise stores to supplant sales at its merchandise/grocery SuperTarget locations that already exist.

This post is one in a series on prominent company nicknames. See all 25, and share your thoughts and memories about Tar-Zhay below in the comments.

Have Target Corp. (NYSE: TGT) shoppers all of a sudden become French citizens? In the last decade or so, I've heard many, many people refer to the discount retailer as "Tar-Zhay," instead of the boring "Target." Where did that pronunciation come from, you ask?

There are opinions all over on this one, but one strikes me the best. Target, despite its discount niche, has also become a favorite destination for fashion-savvy consumers who might otherwise shop at high-end boutiques -- except for the fact they want a good deal. The French accent is a way of poking good-natured fun at the apparent sophistication of Target's deal-seeking shoppers.

In fact, Target carries much of the same discount, commodity stuff we buy at other retailers, but markets that merchandise in a cheerful and upscale way. The shopping experience, is clean, bright, and cheerful. Just look at the gleaming floors in your local SuperTarget and the white and red colors that make it seem like a test for the senses rather than a dull retailer. Bonjour, Tar-Zhay practically flows off the tongue, as a result.

Are traditional grocery stores headed for a showdown with Wal-Mart Store Inc. (NYSE:WMT) and Target Corp. (NYSE:TGT) soon? By all indications, they already are, as the two largest discount retailers in the U.S. have been fighting with grocery chains like Publix, Albertsons and Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) for a while now. Wal-Mart has the "Supercenter" and even the grocery-only "Neighborhood Market" while Target has the "SuperTarget." These examples all carry a full line of grocery items.

In fact, a recent piece of research shows that 46% of shoppers prefer to shop for food where they can also purchase items like clothing, home accessories and CDs. Should that fact alone scare food retailers that could lose (or are losing) customers to the larger discount chains that are placing "everything merchandisable" under one roof and into one trip?

While some customers shop on convenience and atmosphere -- both of which can be hard to find at a Wal-Mart or Target location -- many shop on price and "one stop shop" alone. What are grocery chains doing about it? Well, traditional grocery stores appear to be reinventing product mixes and creating niches to maintain market share and sustain sales growth. At the same time, these grocery chains are trying to capture the attention of an increasingly disloyal army of shoppers who are tired of the "one stop shop" approach. What can they do? Offer customers something unique, as in excellent customer care, eclectic and exclusive products or an innovative store floor plan.

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE:WMT) has a mighty foe in the state of California, as many communities -- generally in the Southern California area -- have gone to great strides to block the world's largest retailer from opening up shop. Now you can add sunny San Diego to that list.

The San Diego City Council voted late Tuesday to ban certain giant retail stores -- including Wal-Mart. The vote dealt a blow to Wal-Mart's potential to expand in the nation's eighth-largest city but probably came as no surprise to many San Diego residents and Wal-Mart store watchers. Getting approved to build a Wal-Mart in one of California's largest cities would have been a major coup for the retailer, but I just did not see that happening at all.

The San Diego City Council's vote of 5-3 prohibits stores of more than 90,000 square feet that use 10 percent of space to sell groceries and other merchandise that is not subject to sales tax. Wal-Mart Supercenters and other big-box centers like SuperTarget stores most likely will fall under the measure's jurisdiction.

Mayor Jerry Sanders will veto the ban if the Council reaffirms it on a second vote, which will likely happen in January, said mayoral spokesman Fred Sainz. The Council can override his veto with five votes. So, perhaps a showdown on the San Diego Mayor and the City Council is afoot soon? I'll be watching.