Target, Inc.

Target Corp. has unveiled its next-generation store format, which will make its debut in Richmond, Texas, a Houston suburb, in October.   In addition to the new 124,000-sq.-ft. Richmond store, 40 additional Target locations will receive elements of the redesign when they are updated, also in October.      

Target Corp. is bringing its small-format store to the heart of Manhattan.   The discounter plans to open its first location in mid-town Manhattan, a 43,000-sq.-ft. store in Herald Square, just west of the 34th Street and Broadway intersection, and one block from Penn Station — and across the street from the Macy’s flagship.  

Detroit is one of the most encouraging and intriguing stories to develop in the wake of the Great Recession. With investment, development, and redevelopment booming downtown, office and multi-family momentum has spurred a retail revival. The Motor City is revving its retail engine and is well on the way to arriving as a true retail destination for the first time in decades.   

That was fast.   The Kroger Co. wasted no time in naming a replacement for Jeff Burt, president of Fred Meyer Stores, who resigned on Monday, March 20, to head up Target’s grocery business.    Kroger tapped company veteran Joe Grieshaber as president of Fred Meyer Stores, immediately.  

A 30-year veteran of The Kroger Co. has joined Target Corp. to head up the discounter’s struggling grocery business.    Target has appointed Jeff Burt as senior VP, grocery, fresh food and beverage, effective April 10.   

The Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) and Accenture on Monday announced the launch of a new initiative that will explore the impact that technologies such as artificial intelligence and virtual reality will have on the retail industry.   RILA’s new (R)Tech Center for Innovation will also help retailers create innovative ways of doing business.  

Data and analytics is more than a business foundation — it is a key differentiator in an increasingly competitive marketplace, according to Target’s senior VP Paritosh Desai.   As a result, Target is making a big push to add top tech talent, from software engineers to data scientists — a move that pushed the chain to “acquihire” tech companies. In this practice, larger companies acquire smaller ones to obtain their technology and, essentially, hire their leadership and teams.  

An online giant and the world’s biggest retailer claim the top two positions in a study that ranks retail companies by their brand value.   Amazon ranked as the world’s most valuable retail brand in the annual study by valuation and strategy consultancy Brand Finance. The company’s brand value, $106.4 billion, is nearly double that of Walmart ($62.2 billion), which ranked as the second most valuable retail brand. (An explanation of the ranking is provided at the end of article.)