Strategy

Target Corp. is planning to test an agricultural process that involves growing plants indoors in precisely programmed conditions.   The discounter plans to test vertical farms within select U.S. stores, according Business Insider. The idea grew out of the Food + Future CoLab, a collaboration between Target, Ideo and the MIT Media Lab.  

Starbucks Corp. has opened its 1,000th LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) location.    The store, in Ames, Iowa, uses LED lighting to decrease energy use by 30%. Water use was reduced by more than 50% due to low flow sinks and other equipment.    

Chico's FAS announced that Diane Ellis has been appointed president of its Chico’s brand, effective November 1, 2016.      Ellis joins Chico's from The Limited, where she has served as CEO and president since 2013.       Prior to The Limited, Ellis spent six years as president and COO of Brooks Brothers, where she led the stores, ecommerce, IT, HR, sourcing, product development, finance, supply chain and planning functions in support of the global operations of the brand.

Walmart has gone into high gear in its fight to challenge Amazon.   The chain is on track to double the number of warehouses dedicated to online sales to 10 by the end of 2016, according to a report on nbcnews.com.    

To create meaningful experiences, retailers should take a page from the menu

At the Converse store on the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica, “customization maestros” help sneaker fans manufacture their dream shoe.

Shoppers, browsing the featured iPads, choose among 150 graphics, including those created by local artists. There is a wide selection of grommets, patches and lettering, along with swap-out drawstrings of various designs and color.

Walmart is hosting 26 startups to present their ideas as part of the company's Technology Open Call, the Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette reported Thursday.   The event is being held in conjunction with Friday's Northwest Arkansas Tech Summit and features companies like FreshSpire, a service that notifies participating consumers the availability of discounted produce that's about to expire. 

Move over Black Friday.   The biggest shopping day in terms of holiday sales is expected to be Friday, Dec. 23, while the biggest day in terms of store traffic is expected to be Saturday, Dec. 17, according to RetailNext Inc. (See lists at end of story.) It’s the first time in many years that Black Friday failed to top either of the lists.    

The Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) is merging its sustainability-focused conference with Sustainable Brands.     Beginning in 2017, the two will produce a single conference together than includes a retail-specific program track, in addition to Sustainable Brands’ usual program, which covers sustainability-led brand innovation across multiple consumer-facing industries.