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Target teamed up with brands on a curated third-party marketplace
Target is expanding its third-party offerings with the launch of a new online marketplace called Target+. Unlike its Amazon counterpart that takes applications to sell from any brand or vendor, though, Target+ is an invitation-only affair. It only sells curated items from partner companies the retail giant reached out to, which currently include sports goods maker Mizuno and educational toy maker Kaplan. The initiative won't be expanding its catalogue that much as you can tell, but the retailer plans team up with more brands in the future.
Apple Pay is now accepted at Target and Taco Bell
Some of the last holdouts on tap-to-pay services are finally hopping aboard. Target, Taco Bell, Jack in the Box, Hy-Vee and Speedway have all introduced support for Apple Pay (and services like Google Pay by extension), making it trivially easy to check out when you need to run an errand or crave a Taco Supreme. The rollout will be gradual in some cases. Target expects all its 1,850 locations to support the technology in the "coming weeks," while Taco Bell and Jack in the Box expect to complete their deployments in the "next few months."
Target's same-day delivery service will soon cover all 'major' products
Target's same-day delivery service, Shipt, is about to be much more useful if you'd prefer to shop from home. The company told TechCrunch that it's planning same-day shipping for "all major product categories" in 2019, not just certain groceries and a handful of other product categories. Shipt wouldn't say how many products would be covered or narrow down the time frame, but this suggests you could order clothes and get them in time for a night out.
Target removes minimum amount for free shipping over the holidays
Shortly after Walmart announced that it's expanding its free shipping program to cover items from third-party merchants, Target has also revealed how it plans to win you over this holiday season. The retailer is removing the $35 minimum amount requirement for its free two-day shipping offer from November 1st to December 22nd. That'll allow you to purchase items from its website without having to pay extra, no matter how small it is.
Sony brings its 100 percent renewable energy goal forward a decade
Just a month after Sony announced its plans to power its worldwide operations with 100 percent renewable energy by 2040, the tech company has brought forward its US goal by a decade, to 2030. Sony currently sources just 25 percent of its energy in the US from renewable sources, so the decision represents an ambitious vision for the RE100 company.
China bumps up renewable energy target to reduce reliance on coal
China, the world's biggest energy consumer, is stepping up its push into clean power with a revised renewable energy target. The nation is now aiming for renewables to account for at least 35 percent of energy consumption by 2030, whereas its previous target only stipulated "non-fossil fuels" making up 20 percent of energy use within the same time frame.
This funky new font is made up entirely of brands
A digital studio called Hello Velocity has created a typeface that embraces well-known corporate logos and is still somehow far less annoying than Comic Sans. The studio says it creates "thought-provoking internet experiences," and its Brand New Roman font is a clever statement on consumerism.
Tesla made 5,031 Model 3s in a week
Tesla's ultimate fate, and Elon Musk's reputation has hinged on being able to produce 5,000 units of the Model 3 in a single week. Once that goal was hit, the company could finally shrug off the accusation that it was a billionaire's plaything, out of its depth and unable to compete with Big Auto. Now, at the end of its second financial quarter, the company has confirmed yesterday's rumor that it produced 5,031 Model 3s in seven days.
Target expands curbside pickup and same-day delivery services
Target is determined to win over shoppers in a hurry -- the retail giant is expanding its Drive Up curbside pickup and Shipt same-day delivery services across the US Midwest and Southeast. As of this week, you can use Shipt to receive groceries, electronics and other items in Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Missouri and Wisconsin. Drive Up, meanwhile, is coming to Des Monies, Kansas City, Madison, Omaha, Raleigh, Nashville and Columbia.
Target's AR 'studio' helps you try on makeup at home
You don't need to spring for a Galaxy S9 just to try makeup from the comfort of your living room. Target has unveiled a Beauty Studio feature that uses augmented reality to try a selection of cosmetics (including lipstick, blush and eyelashes) on Target's desktop and mobile websites as well as kiosks in 10 retail stores. Tech from YouCam maps the products to your face either in real-time or through a photo, saving you the trouble of visiting the shop and creating a mess.
Target’s Restock next-day delivery service goes nationwide
With an eye on chipping away at Amazon's home delivery dominance, Target is expanding its next-day household essentials program across the country. The company says the Restock service is now available to 75 percent of the population, and it's slashing the delivery fee from $4.99 to $2.99. Holders of Target's credit or debit Redcard, meanwhile, don't need to pay for shipping at all -- something that Amazon's Pantry program doesn't currently offer.
Target promises EV chargers at more than 100 stores
Walmart isn't the only big retailer installing a slew of EV chargers in its parking lots. Target and a collection of retail property owners (PDF) have unveiled plans to add a horde of charging stations in the (relatively) near future. In Target's case, it's adding chargers at more than 100 locations (600 parking spaces in total) over two years with the help of a variety of backers, including Tesla, VW's Electrify America and ChargePoint. The big-box store only has chargers at 18 locations out of 1,800-plus as we write this, so it's no trivial expansion.
Target’s Drive Up service is now available at 270 stores
Last year, Target began piloting a new service called Drive Up that lets customers order what they need from the Target app, pick up their purchases at a Target store and have it delivered right to their car. Now, Target has announced that the service is available in nearly 270 stores throughout the south and southeast.
Target brings same-day delivery of in-store purchases to five cities
Target announced today that it's bringing same-day delivery to five major US cities this month. Customers shopping in nearly 60 stores in Boston, Chicago, New York City, San Francisco and Washington DC will be able to have their purchases delivered to their homes within a two-hour timeframe. The service costs $7, unless large furniture is being delivered, in which case an additional $25 fee may apply.
Google plans to boost Amazon competitors in search shopping ads (updated)
Google may be assembling a supergroup of big retail brands to go to war with Amazon over the future of online shopping. Reuters is reporting that the search engine is teaming up with Target, Walmart, Home Depot, Costco and Ulta for the new project. These companies, and any other willing participants, can index their catalogs on Google, which will show up when someone starts searching for stuff to buy. Naturally, rather than receiving an ad fee, Google simply gets a cut of the sales that are subsequently generated. This program is an extension of the existing Google Shopping ads that show up when you search for a product -- they're separate from the organic search listings, instead showing up in a dedicated shopping sidebar.
Best Buy will stop CD sales as digital music continues to take over
There's not much reason to shop for CDs when you download or stream all your music, and big-box stores are reacting to that decline. Billboard sources have learned that Best Buy has told suppliers that it will remove music CDs from its stores as of July 1st. The chain was only making $40 million per year from the plastic discs -- a drop in the bucket for a retailer this size. Vinyl aficionados will still find records on sale for the next 2 years, according to the insiders, although they may have to be sold next to the turntables themselves.
How the 'Grinch bots' stole Christmas
Resellers have existed since way before the internet. But with the surge of online shopping, they have found the perfect weapon to aid their business: bots, automated software that can add products to a virtual cart and purchase them faster than any human. Even if your browser autofills personal information, like your address and credit card, and it only took you one minute to get to the checkout page -- that's too slow. Bots can buy almost anything in a matter of seconds, which is why they've become the ideal tool for people who make money by snatching up coveted items and selling them on eBay, Amazon and Craigslist for a profit.
Target acquisition brings same-day delivery to stores in early 2018
If it wasn't already obvious that Target is nervous about Amazon, it is now. Target has acquired another same-day delivery startup, Shipt, for a cool $550 million. The deal should speed up Target's plans to offer same-day delivery in its stores. It's expecting to have the feature available in half its stores by early 2018, and in the "majority" of stores in time for 2018 holiday shopping. Your options will largely be limited to groceries, electronics, "essentials" and home products, but Target plans to offer products from all its major categories by the end of 2019.
Microsoft plans a 75 percent reduction in carbon emissions by 2030
Microsoft has pledged to slash its carbon emissions by 75 percent by 2030, against a 2013 baseline. By pushing its carbon neutrality plans and renewable energy commitments, the target puts the company on track to meet the goals set in the Paris Climate Agreement, and of course puts a big tick in its corporate social responsibility box.
Target stores can order your items online if they're out of stock
Many stores will encourage you to order online if they've run out of stock, but they usually want you to do it yourself. Do you really want to pull out your phone and wade through a website while you're in the store, or hope you'll remember to order when you get home? Target is hoping to do better. It's rolling out an app that lets them order for you using their handheld devices -- you just have to fork over your credit card like you would with any other retail purchase.
