Target, Inc.

When preventing the type of data breaches that have recently gotten the names of several major retailers in the news for all the wrong reasons comes up, the discussion focuses almost exclusively on what type of technology should be employed to prevent them. IT is certainly a cornerstone of any retailer’s data security defense, but as explained in a Tech Boot Camp session at Chain Store Age’s 50th annual SPECS conference, a dose of common sense also goes a long way toward preventing unwanted visitors from entering your company’s network.

In the competitive world of low-cost retailers, Target has led the pack. The leak of millions of customers’ personal data with implications of identity theft and fraud called into question their status as one of the top-retailers and has had their executives reeling. Although it's been months since the initial data breach, the crisis still isn't over. Target just reported less-than-stellar fourth quarter earnings, which were at least partly impacted by the breach, and the company still faces costs estimated at up to $1 billion as fallout from the data breach.

New York -- Nordstrom is going to be a big success in Canada, according to Antony Karabus, president, Hilco Retail Consulting. (Nordstrom has plans for six stores in Canada, with the possibility of adding a few more over time.) “Every one of the six stores they (Nordstrom) picked in Canada is a home run in terms of the location. It’s the perfect time, perfect sector and the perfect time in the sector,” Karabus said during a recent presentation on “The State of the Canadian Retail Market.”

Ottawa, Canada - Target dropped prices on its monitored assortment by more than 20% during the days leading up to its confirmation of the data breach that compromised the security of 70 million customers’ personal information during the pre-holiday shopping season. According to data from 360pi analyzing approximately 830 products across eight categories, including TVs, tablets, digital cameras and more, Target dropped its prices by 18% between Dec. 14 and Dec. 17.

New York -- Target Corp. on Friday acknowledged its security software picked up on suspicious activity after a cyber attack was launched, but it decided not to take immediate action. The chain also advised that its security breach last year could be even more extensive than reported so far, Reuters reported.

Minneapolis – Target Corp. reportedly had early notice of the holiday data breach that exposed the personal and financial information of millions of customers but did not act upon it. According to Bloomberg, a $1.6 million security application called FireEye notified Target of a possible intrusion in to its network, but the retailer failed to respond.

Finance executives who participated in professional services firm BDO’s annual CFO survey expect 8.2% growth in online sales this year and not surprisingly plan to increase investments in mobile capabilities.

Mobile and online sales will continue to drive growth for retailers in 2014, the firm said. However, now that e-commerce has firmly taken root in the retail industry, growth is beginning to stabilize. As a result, about 64% of CFOs said online sales will grow in the coming year, a figure below the 74% who expressed that sentiment the prior year.