Mass Merchant

New York -- Target is leaning on its product design and development team as its works to return to the days when shoppers flocked to "Tar-zhay" for fabulous design and inventive product, according to a report in Ad Age.
 
For a look inside the retailer's design lab, read the full story here.

Seattle – Amazon.com is reportedly planning to offer customers a new option for directly picking up orders.

According to GeekWire, Amazon is currently testing the service, called Amazon Flex, in its Kirkland, Washington, distribution facility.

A sign inside the facility instructs Amazon Flex users to take a ticket with a number, look for the number to be displayed, and then pick up their package. Amazon has not discussed exactly how Flex would work, or when or where it may roll out.

Fast growing e-commerce firm Instacart is now delivering groceries to a 17th major U.S. metropolitan area.

Beginning this week, customers can order from Whole Foods Market, Costco (no membership needed), Marsh Supermarkets, Georgetown Market and Petco stores and have everything delivered by Instacart in as little as one hour.

Bentonville, Ark. -- How important is Walmart to Tyco Retail Solutions Inc.? Important enough that Tyco has built a state-of-the-art facility dedicated to the giant retailer.

Located in Bentonville, Arkansas, the Walmart Retail Experience Center features a simulated retail environment and showroom where the retailer’s executives from around the globe will have access to resources and capabilities aligned to Walmart’s growing global footprint. It is Tyco’s first center built exclusively for one client.

Not only is Amazon.com launching its one-hour Prime Now delivery service in its hometown of Seattle, but it's also adding a whole new category of deliverable products.

The retailer announced Tuesday it will add wine, beer and spirits to its assortment of eligible products for Prime Now delivery.

Seattle becomes the first U.S. city to include alcohol in the assortment of products eligible for the quick-delivery service.

Recent turmoil in the stock market hasn’t dimmed Best Buy’s outlook for the third quarter while the release of better than expected second quarter results has validated the company’s strategy, according to CEO Hubert Joly.

Strength in categories such as major appliances, large screen televisions and mobile phones, offset by weak tablet sales, helped Best Buy achieve a 2.7% domestic same store sales increase and pushed revenues up 3.9% to $7.9 billion during the second quarter ended August 1. Online comparable sales increased 17%.

Minneapolis – For the second quarter in a row, Best Buy Co. Inc. beat Wall Street expectations for profit and revenue with large-screen TVs and mobile phones providing a major boost to its results.

Best Buy reported net income of $164 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2016, up 12% from $146 million the same period the previous fiscal year.

New York -- Not only is Amazon.com launching its one-hour Prime Now delivery service in its hometown of Seattle, but it's also adding a whole new category of deliverable products.

The retailer announced Tuesday it will add wine, beer and spirits to its assortment of eligible products for Prime Now delivery.

With the launch of Prime Now in Seattle, it's the first U.S. city to include alcohol in the assortment of products eligible for the quick-delivery service.