Omnichannel

Target is expanding its Instacart same-day delivery service to another major U.S. city.

Following a successful pilot in Minneapolis, Target is now partnering with Instacart to offer customers in the San Francisco Bay Area fresh food, non-perishable food items, health and beauty products, pet and household supplies, and select baby items delivered to their homes in as little as one hour.

DSW Inc. has promoted its omnichannel retailing chief to be its new CEO as the company positions itself for long-term growth.

The company said Roger L. Rawlins, executive vice president and CIO, will succeed Michael R. MacDonald as CEO effective Jan. 1. MacDonald, who is retiring from DSW and from the board of directors, will remain with the company through the end of the year to help ensure a smooth transition. Rawlins will be appointed to the DSW board effective Jan. 1. 

Every day, it seems there is news of another large retailer opening a tech innovation center, launching a new engagement channel, or otherwise making its mark as an IT innovator. But while the big guys get all the attention, a lot of smaller retailers are also doing some very interesting and innovative things with technology.

Here are three recent examples of small retailers launching large initiatives in technology innovation:

Poler Outdoor Stuff activates Instagram indoors

Two new offerings from Pinterest make the visually-oriented social media platform even more accessible for e-commerce.

First, Pinterest is launching a new feature called Pinterest Shop. Every day, Pinterest will offer what it calls “hand-picked” product selections. The curated assortments will include products from major retailers like Bloomingdale’s and Nordstrom, as well as from smaller boutique retailers.

Pinterest will roll out Pinterest Shop for desktop and mobile in the next couple of weeks.

Target is setting up shop in downtown Manhattan — but it’s no ordinary store and it’s just for the holidays.

On Dec. 9, Target will officially open Target Wonderland to the public, which the retailer describes as a “first-of-its-kind retail experience” that is part magical toy store and part Pop Art exhibit.

Current retail planning systems may be out-of-date and not effectively addressing requirements for an omnichannel planning environment.

According to the new Boston Retail Partners’ 2015 Merchandise Planning Benchmark Survey, many retailers are using planning applications designed for old retail business models. Results show a large percentage of these systems were installed in the late 1990s or early 2000s.

Genesco is expanding its reach geographically and generationally with its latest acquisition.

The company has entered into an agreement with the Aldo Group Inc. to acquire the 37-store Little Burgundy retail footwear chain in Canada.