Digital done right

New functionality and user friendly features are now part of Target’s online circular, as the retailer moves toward an online only distribution model by addressing some of the shortcomings associated with a digitized version of print product. For example, the circular can now be viewed in full screen mode, or the contents can be sorted by category, making it possible to view all 232 items in the 26-page ad sorted by 12 different categories. Those elements, which are new this week, combined with an existing feature that enlarges an item as the cursor rolls over it, make viewing items in the ad easier, which presumably will result in increased sales. Despite the upgrades, the weekly ad remains a digitized version of a print product, as opposed to a promotional vehicle designed from the ground up for online distribution.