Target, Inc.

Red hot Pinterest is offering new functunality to third parties that will allow them to curate content and drive traffic to their sites, and major retailers such as Walmart, Target and Zappos are all over it.

New York -- The hot social-sharing site Pinterest has released its first API for developers. It will help stores and brands display which of their items were most frequently and recently pinned. The first partners for the service include Zappos, Walmart, Disney, and Nestle, reflecting how the site is looking to increase revenue generation with advertising and cross-marketing. (An API, short for application programming interface, is code that allows developers to create apps that interface with a popular web service or other software.)

Minneapolis -- Target has expanded its Beauty Concierge program to 95 stores in New York and New Jersey, the San Francisco Bay Area and Dallas-Fort Worth. Under the program, stores are staffed with a beauty concierge, a specially trained, brand-agnostic assistant who answers customers' questions in the store and provides personalized, detailed and unbiased information about beauty and personal care products.

New York -- Target Corp. has joined the growing ranks of retailers who will open earlier on Thanksgiving this year. The company said it is making the change in response to competitive pressure and demand from shoppers.

Target stores will open on 8 p.m. on the holiday, an hour earlier than last year. Stores will remain open throughout the night and close at 11 p.m. on the day after Thanksgiving, Nov. 29.

Target will open stores at 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day, an hour earlier than last year, and will keep them open until 11 p.m. Black Friday.

The company said it is making the change in response to competitive pressure and demand from shoppers.

Kathee Tesija, executive VP of merchandising at Target, told The Associated Press that she felt the 8 p.m. time was just right, based on the competitive landscape, and the sentiment among shoppers and its own store staff.

By Brian Smith, BizBrag

I’m sure I’m not the only one who has begun to notice some changes in that most iconic of holiday shopping events: Black Friday. From earlier start times, to new and more elaborate marketing and promotional efforts, Black Friday has evolved into something very different than a one-day holiday season kick-off sale. This year, we are already seeing an expansion of that trend, including changes that might give us insights into the mindset of many brick-and-mortar retailers as they prepare for the final sprint to the seasonal finish line.

Target created A Bullseye View a little more than two years ago as an innovative digital platform to achieve a deeper level of engagement with those who have an interest in all things Target. Billed as a behind-the-scenes magazine, A Bullseye View was recently relaunched to incorporate new features and functionality to build upon its original mission.