Target, Inc.

Target Corp. is entering the mobile payments arena.       Following similar moves by such competitors as Walmart and Kohl’s, the discounter plans to introduce mobile payment features to one or more of its own apps, according to a report by Recode.   

Every year after the holidays the same topics seem to dominate media coverage of the retail industry. The numbers are in, who’s closing stores? Who’s going out of business? Who are this year’s casualties in the great Clicks vs. Bricks War? This focus on post-holiday attrition is part of a larger conversation about the future of retail, one often tinged by notes of panic, dire predictions, and dramatic pronouncements such as: Online retail is damaging brick-and-mortar. Malls are dead! Retailers are shuttering hundreds of stores! 

The trends featured at the annual NRF Convention & Expo never fail to get the tech juices flowing, and this year was no exception.    Sessions and the expo floor illustrated how retail technology has changed dramatically in a very short time. However, the event also relayed a sobering message: the industry needs to greatly evolve to keep up pace with customer expectations, and remain relevant in the long-term.  

Target has made a key addition to its executive team.    The discounter has promoted Rick Gomez to the position of executive VP and chief marketing officer, effective Jan. 29. Gomez, currently senior VP of brand and category marketing, has been with Target since 2013. He replaces Jeff Jones, who left Target last summer to become president of Uber.   

Mike McNamara, chief information officer and digital office for Target Corp, was among the speakers this week at the National Retail Federation’s annual Big Show in New York City. McNamara described how Target’s technology team is leading the way on transformation.   In the blog post below, which is on Target’s website, McNamara discusses the change he is leading, and some of the exciting technologies he saw at the Big Show: 

Supervalu has appointed Anne Dament to senior VP of retail, merchandising and marketing, effective immediately.   Dament is a 25-year retail veteran who began her career at Supervalu. She most recently served as senior VP, president of merchandising for Target Corp., where she oversaw food merchandising for its grocery business, including perishables, non-perishables, food service and private-label brands.  

Another retailer is reporting a less-than-stellar holiday.    Target Corp. on Wednesday cut its guidance for the fourth quarter and year on the heels of a 1.3% decline in same-store sales in November and December. (Total sales for the combined month decreased 4.9%, reflecting the impact of the December 2015 sale of the company’s pharmacy and clinic businesses.)  

The NRF Foundation has brought together leading retailers and non-profits to launch a job training and credentialing initiative called Rise Up (Retail Industry Skills & Education).   The program is designed to help people — regardless of education, background, economic means or age — acquire the skills they need to secure jobs in retail and advance into promising careers in every aspect of retail, from in-store to digital and mobile commerce, according to the NRF.