Target, Inc.

Consumer expectations are increasing and retailers are keeping up—but their trading partners are lagging.

This is one of the key takeaways from the fourth annual industry benchmark survey by Retail Systems Research (RSR) commissioned by SPS Commerce. The goal of the survey was to examine the internal and external forces driving today’s retail ecosystem, an industry that has evolved more in the past decade than in the past century. That evolution continues this year, with three critical drivers at the forefront:

Target is not the only organization looking for a few good retail IT start-ups.

New York-based digital advertising agency R/GA is partnering with San Francisco-based Westfield Labs, the innovation lab subsidiary of shopping center operator Westfield Corp., to launch the R/GA Connected Commerce Accelerator. The application process is open to start-ups across the globe through May 23, 2016.

Democracy Works, a non-partisan, non-profit organization, said on Wednesday it is teaming up with an array of companies, including Starbucks, Target and Westfield Corp., in an effort to boost U.S. voter turnout to 80% by 2020.

The project, called the TurboVote Challenge, is ambitious. The last time the U.S. achieved a voter turnout rate over 80% was in 1888. An estimated 57.5% of eligible citizens voted in the 2012 presidential election.

Target Corp. has reached an important milestone in its journey to launching a new retail accelerator in partnership with Boulder, Colorado-based start-up accelerator Techstars.

Target initially announced the new accelerator, expected to launch in June 2016, last October. The retailer has now closed the application process, after receiving applications from more than 500 technology start-ups in 45 countries and 32 states. Ideas submitted include connected toys and virtual fitting rooms.

Fred’s on Wednesday reported its Q4 and FY2015 earnings, as well as the news that board chairman Michael Hayes would be stepping down, to be replaced with longtime director Thomas Tashjian.

Starbucks knows a thing or two about developing business across channels, and on-demand, app-based grocery delivery service Shipt is bringing that expertise in-house.

Birmingham, Alabama-based Shipt has named Joe Manning, former Starbucks director of business and channel development, to lead business development. Shipt is looking to Manning to establish and grow partnerships with grocers and CPG companies as the company expands.

Photo: Arthur Valdez

Target Corp.’s partnership with MIT Media Lab and global design firm IDEO is bearing fruit — literally.