Target, Inc.

The increases in average transaction size and customer traffic that Target credited with driving its 4.1% same-store sales increase during August is unwelcome news for Walmart. This is especially true since the biggest gains continue to come in categories where Walmart is traditionally strongest and is intent on demonstrating price leadership.

MINNEAPOLIS — The first month of Target’s third quarter is off to a solid start as the company reported a 4.1% same-store sales increase squarely in the middle of guidance that called for a low to mid single-digit gain.

By Jane Fazzalari

Since the global standards organization GS1 first announced its plans for DataBar — a new labeling system that stores massive amounts of product data — retail industry stakeholders have been discussing its potential impacts. Major retailers such as Target and Walgreens have already started replacing the standard UPC code on their coupons with DataBar bar code and updated their POS systems according to accommodate the new labelling system.

Target may want to rethink its space allocation for the sporting goods department in light of the success the company is having with its Fan Central initiative. Granted, Fan Central is a licensed apparel program within the sporting goods department, but EVP merchandising Kathee Tesija described the success the program is having as “remarkable” during a recap of key merchandising initiatives earlier this month in a meeting with financial analysts.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Inflationary increases, sales growth at remodeled stores and a boost from fuelperks! helped drive up Winn-Dixie's second quarter identical-store sales, while net sales dipped.

According to Winn-Dixie's chief Peter Lynch, Winn-Dixie is riding a strong headwind into fiscal 2012 powered by a number of influencers — a marketing program that better sustains margins, its loyalty program Fuelperks!, an improved stocking system and a significant focus on improving the customer experience.

It is hard to overstate the significance of Target’s entry into Canada in terms of the impact it will have on the company’s growth and the marketplace overall. You would have to go back to 1992 and Walmart’s acquisition of 122 Woolco stores to find an event of similar magnitude, and even that deal comes up short compared with Target’s plans to open as many as 150 stores beginning in early 2013.

Target failed to crack a ranking of the top 10 most effective back-to-school ads compiled by Ace Metrix that was dominated by retail competitors and technology companies.

The new Target.com website went live last Tuesday just as Target News Now was hitting in-boxes with an item about the relaunch that began, “Just launch the new site already.” Well, now that the completely reengineered site is operational, it marks the company’s first step on an ambitious plan for multi-channel expansion, according to Target.com president Steve Eastman.