Target, Inc.

Deciding back in January 2011 to spend roughly $1.8 billion to acquire 220 Zellers’ leases was easy compared to the challenge Target has undertaken more recently in Canada.

Minneapolis -- Target Corp. will introduce QR codes in stores in time for the holiday shopping season. Beginning Oct. 14, each of the chain’s Top 20 toys will have a QR code that shoppers can scan with their mobile device, allowing them to purchase the toy directly and ship it for free to anyone, anywhere in the U.S. The toys will be promoted with signs featuring the QR codes.

Target’s senior executive ranks are filled with women, but don’t look for any of them on Fortune’s recent listing of the 50 most powerful women.

Topping the list in the October 8 issue is IBM president and CEO Ginni Rometty followed by PepsiCo chairman and CEO Indra Nooyi, Hewlett-Packard president and CEO Meg Whitman and Kraft Foods chairman and CEO Irene Rosenfeld. Gracing the cover is Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer who recently defected from Google.

New York -- Target Corp. will soon join the ranks of retailers who are no longer reporting monthly same-store sales. The discounter on Thursday said it will no longer report comparable sales, beginning in fiscal 2013.

Three top executives from Walmart were among the 50 most powerful women recognized recently by Fortune.

The business publication put Sam’s Club president and CEO Rosalind Brewer at 12th on the list with Walmart U.S. EVP and COO Gisel Ruiz ranked 21st. Also making the list in 36^{th place was Susan Chambers, Walmart’s EVP of the global people division.}

Layaway program have become all the rage the past few years as retailers seeks to offer shoppers every conceivable convenience to capture every available sales dollar.

Target this week entered the seasonal fray dominated so far by Walmart and Toys "R" Us attempting to outdo one another with announcements about their layaway offers, product reservation programs and top toy lists.

Silicon Valley companies paved the way for corporate America to offer non-traditional workplace amenities and now Target has joined their ranks.