WISH you could pick up some chicken breasts and a bag of salad for dinner while shopping at Target?

The retail chain thinks you should be able to, as well.

It has begun rolling out its p-fresh, or prototype-fresh, format, which includes produce, meat and additional refrigerated items, to the majority of its stores.

P-fresh already is available at the Targets in Dumfries and in Stafford Marketplace, and eventually will be added to the stores in the Carter's Corner shopping center on U.S. 17 in Stafford County and in the Culpeper Colonnade shopping center in Culpeper.

"At this time, we are unable to confirm the date of completion," said spokeswoman Tammy Robertson.

The p-fresh format features an open-market grocery layout that includes 50 to 200 percent more food items than are available at a typical Target. SuperTargets, such as the one in Cosner's Corner, already feature a large grocery section with fresh, refrigerated and boxed items.

The p-fresh format include such things as bananas, strawberries and bagged lettuce, as well as ground beef, chicken and pork. Shoppers also can pick up dairy items, frozen foods and convenience items, some of which will bear the chain's Archer Farms and Market Pantry labels.

There won't be an in-house bakery or deli, but the renovated stores will carry a small number of baked goods and pre-packed deli items.

Minneapolis-based Target piloted the p-fresh format at two stores in Minnesota in 2008 and tested it at about 100 additional locations across the country the next year. Based on the program's success, p-fresh was introduced at 350 more stores, including the one in Stafford Marketplace, in 2010.

Ultimately, the majority of stores will receive the remodel, which will also affect several other areas including beauty, home, shoes and electronics. Target will put the p-fresh format in the 21 new stores it plans to open this year as well. None of those, however, will be in Virginia.

Target's expansion into the grocery business comes at a time when the Shoppers Food & Pharmacy has announced it will pull the plug at the end of next month on its 80,000-square-foot store in Central Park.