Target, Inc.

Activist investor and hedge fund executive Bill Ackman has accomplished at J.C. Penney what he was unable to do at Target. He secured a seat on the department store retailer’s board after purchasing a bunch of shares and will now be able to push for strategies to increase shareholder value. Joining Ackman on the J.C. Penney board is another large shareholder, Steven Roth, chairman of Vornado Realty Trust.

Target has never claimed to have the lowest prices, but it might want to rethink that strategy now that it has the benefit of its REDcard loyalty program.

The challenge of spearheading Target’s entry into Canada will be handled by Tony Fisher. He was named president of Target Canada last week in a brief press release that offered little detail on his background or qualifications to lead the company’s efforts to open between 100 and 150 stores beginning in 2013. Here’s what Target had to say about Fisher.

Target plans to launch its new website before the 2011 holiday season as is looking for people to join the Target talent community as it builds a best-in-class multichannel shopping experience. That’s according to the retailer’s website interesting openings are listed along with dozens of testimonials of people who already work for the company.

ATLANTA - Hair accessories brand Goody is gearing up for spring with the launch of its new Modern Organica collection, exclusively available at Target next month.

This season, headbands comprised of shells and barrettes dressed in colorful knits will help beauty mavens get back on-trend while staying true to their roots. Mother of pearl embellishments provide a feminine feature, while earth stones and nature-inspired designs add a glamorous touch.

Seattle -- Starbucks announced the launch of mobile payment in all U.S. company-operated stores, allowing customers to pay for in-store purchases with select smart phones. The company said test markets in Seattle, Northern California, New York and more than 1,000 Starbucks in domestic Target stores have successfully used the program.

Minneapolis -- Target Corp. said that it has promoted Tony Fisher to president of Target Canada as the retailer prepares to open its first stores in the country. He will be responsible for building the team, establishing the headquarters and leading the day-to-day operations of the corporation's recently announced expansion into Canada.

The chain tapped an 11-year employee to lead its Canadian business. Last week, Target announced it bought 220 Zeller's leaseholds and it plans to open between 100 and 150 Target stores in Canada beginning in 2013.

An announcement last week that Target plans to open 21 stores in the coming fiscal year was interesting on a number of levels.

For starters, the disclosure was rather uncharacteristic for a company that in years past would publicly release its stores openings a week or two in advance of the actual openings. In this case, the company shared its full list of openings for the entire year two weeks before its new fiscal year even begins.