Target, Inc.

MINNEAPOLIS — Target is opening its first store in East Peoria, Ill. in March 2013. The 135,000 sq. ft. store, located at Clock Tower Drive and West Washington Street, will be part of the 86-acre East Peoria Downtown development.

According to Target, the new store will feature the typical Target assortment along with a selection of fresh produce, fresh packaged meat and pre-packaged baked goods as well as a Starbucks and a Target Pharmacy to further enhance guests’ experience. The store will employ approximately 150 to 200 team members.

Reston, Va. -- Four in every five smartphone users – 85.9 million in total – accessed retail content on their device in July, according to a study by comScore. Amazon sites led as the top retailer with an audience of 49.6 million visitors, representing 46.6% of smartphone owners, followed by eBay with 32.6 million visitors and Apple with 17.7 million visitors.

Minneapolis -- Target Corp. said it will open a store in East Peoria, Ill., in March 2013.

The store will be part of the 86-acre East Peoria Downtown development. This will be the first Target store in East Peoria.

Chestnut Hill, Mass. -- WS Capital Partners, the institutional investment arm of WS Development, announced that it has completed the acquisition of Hilldale Shopping Center, a 474,000-sq.-ft. retail center located in Madison, Wis.

Anchored by Macy’s, Metcalfe’s Market, Sundance Cinemas and Target, Hilldale Shopping Center serves the entire Madison metropolitan area, including the nearby University of Wisconsin-Madison.

New York -- Survey results released Tuesday by WSL/Strategic Retail found that Canada represents a strong expansion opportunity for U.S. retailers.
 
The “How Canada Shops” research study revealed that 64% of Canadians can still afford to shop beyond the basics – versus half of Americans, who say they cannot.



Walmart unveiled its top toy list Friday morning and couldn’t resist taking a shot at Toys "R" Us which launched a toy reservation program earlier in the week.

Walmart said its layaway program and top toy offering gives parents the confidence to shop now for the toys kids want at every day low prices. And in an obvious dig at Toys "R" Us, the press release for Walmart’s top 20 toys declared, "no reservations required: America’s largest toy seller’s hassle-free layaway program begins this Sunday."

Walmart unveiled its top toy list Friday morning and couldn’t resist taking a shot at Toys "R" Us which launched a toy reservation program earlier in the week.

Walmart said its layaway program and top toy offering gives parents the confidence to shop now for the toys kids want at every day low prices. And in an obvious dig at Toys "R" Us, the press release for Walmart’s top 20 toys declared, "no reservations required: America’s largest toy seller’s hassle-free layaway program begins this Sunday."

JavaJig is the name of a clever little item from Melitta that enables owners of single serve coffee makers to avoid the expense of prefilled cups.

Plenty of consumers love their Keurig machines – 1.4 million of them were sold by parent company Green Mountain Coffee Roasters the third quarter ended June 23 – but those darn K-cups are pricy. For example, Target featured a Keurig machine on the cover of its circular this week with a promotional price of $10.99 for an 18 count pack of Folgers or Millstone brand K-cups. That works out to 61 cents a cup.

TORONTO — Target is bringing its REDcard Rewards program to Canada. The company announced that its Canadian customers will receive an additional 5% off every day when shopping at Target with its REDcard products, which include the Target Debit Card and Target RBC MasterCard. Similar to the REDcard Rewards loyalty program in the U.S., the additional savings - which apply to almost everything at Target - will be applied instantly at time of purchase.

By William Dudley, [email protected]

We, as a consumer society, are increasingly becoming “mail-order,” or more precisely, online patrons.  Companies such as Amazon, Ebay, Overstock.com, and other specialty retailers are putting increased pressure on traditional brick and mortar shops by offering customers mobile-friendly apps and browsers, adding convenience to their shopping experience.