Omnichannel

Target plans to renovate its downtown Minneapolis flagship, adding an array of new features.   The discounter will invest $10 million in a full-store remodel for the location, which opened in 2001, reported The Journal.     Less ambitious updates are planned for other Target stores in the Twin Cities area.    

Specialty retailer Bow & Drape is putting a new spin on how it sells its cheeky merchandise.   The brand, which lets shoppers customize pun-inspired apparel, is rolling out sample sales on Instagram, Glossy said.   

Shoptalk, the “nextgen commerce event,” is still accepting applications for a new initiative that connects retailers and brands with technology companies — and provides complimentary tickets and travel reimbursement to the event.    Shoptalk will accept applications for its new “Hosted Retailers & Brands Program” until midnight on Friday, Feb. 17. More than 100 retailers and brands have already been accepted into the program. (Shoptalk will be held March 19-22, 2017, at the Aria in Las Vegas.)

In its latest move to gain a competitive edge on Amazon, Walmart expanded availability of its Scan and Go app.   Already a staple at Sam’s Clubs nationwide, Walmart launched its free Scan and Go app for Android users, reported Forbes.   

Online giant extending brick-and-mortar footprint.   Amazon is taking its bookstore concept to the San Francisco Bay Area, which has a reputation for supporting independent bookstores.    The company will open a bookstore at Broadway Plaza, an open-air center in Walnut Creek, California, reported the San Francisco Gate.  Although no opening date was given, but Amazon is in the process of staffing up the store.   

Gainesville retail pioneer Butler Enterprises announced the signing of P.F. Chang’s as a restaurant anchor at its Butler Town Center, now under development.   "It's an excellent fit for P.F. Chang's and we're really looking forward to sharing our farm-to-wok food philosophy with the entire Gainesville community," said P.F. Chang’s CMO Dwayne Chambers.  

Each moment, it seems, something new emerges to compete for our attention. Our desktop browsers manage dozens of tabs simultaneously, even though we can only process the information contained on those pages one tab at a time. Our phones ping away, constantly keeping us connected to an infinite virtual world.    

Recently, I was in my kitchen making Veal Provençal for my kids. As I reached for the can of peeled tomatoes, my worn out can opener broke in my hand. I turned to my Alexa device and told it to order a new can opener from Edlund. Two days later, the package awaited me when I got home.