Target will close dozens of stores in an effort to reduce its footprint by 20 per cent over the next five years and create a "boutique" fashion chain competing with fast-fashion giants H&M and Uniqlo.

The brand, which has 305 stores across Australia, has been a problem child for the Wesfarmers retail conglomerate and the ugly sister to the group's department store powerhouse, Kmart.

Wesfarmers' CEO of department stores, Guy Russo, said that having stabilised Target's earnings and reset its cost base, after it ran at a $195 million loss in 2016, the group would further improve profitability by closing underperforming stores when their leases expired.

“We’re not going to go after size any more, and we’ll just be a nice new boutique retailer that plays in mid-tier, and I’d like to make sure it's a profitable mid-tier business," Mr Russo said at a Wesfarmers investor briefing day on Thursday.

Mr Russo said Target was continuing its shift away from its traditional market position as a rival to Kmart and Big W to a more fashionable brand in the mould of foreign fast-fashion giants H&M, Uniqlo and Zara.