Target

Endcap touchscreen digital signage displays are now in nearly every Target store in the country thanks to Possible WorldWide's idea to increase in-store sales of video games and accessories. The international marketing agency recommended placing interactive touchscreens on the aisle endcaps in the video games section to allow guests to quickly and easily locate products.

Target is projecting sales from its upcoming Canadian stores to total more than $6 billion by 2017. The company expects to have more than 200 stores in Canada within the next five years to 10 years, with the stores generating about $6.27 billion in U.S. dollars.

Americans like stuff. That’s a given. But it turns out that lots and lots of stuff piled onto shelves or stacked in the middle of store aisles can coax a shopper to buy more.

Target has the strongest consumer brand equity among retail brands, and was named as the 2011 Harris Poll EquiTrend Value Retail Brand of the Year. This is the second consecutive year Target has led the way in the category, with the gap between runner-up Wal-Mart increasing.

An outraged consumer-advocacy group is calling it “the Fukushima of the email industry.” Comparing mere data theft to Japan’s nuclear nightmare is perhaps a bit over the top. But the theft of data from Epsilon, a marketing-services company, has nonetheless caused widespread concern.

Coupons, deals, discounts — however you say it, bargain shopping remains a hot topic. Even with an economy that’s showing signs of recovery, consumers are just too savvy and technologically connected to pay retail prices.

Data, data everywhere. No wonder retail marketers are overwhelmed with the volume of data available in today's marketplace. But what to do with it all? With this enormous volume of data comes not only opportunity, but also responsibility. No longer can retailers simply get by on marketing what they want. They must now listen to the voice of the consumer, and market how the consumer wants.

Girl Scout cookies are once again selling in one of the hottest retail formats: pop-up stores. Temporary stores designed to drum up buzz for retailers, they appear for a limited time — say, Girl Scout cookie season — and just as suddenly, disappear again.

Retailers must answer the call to make mobile shopping easier and more engaging or they risk getting disconnected from the majority of mobile device users. While 89.7 percent of the U.S. population aged 18 to 64 have mobile phones, only 49.1 percent are using their phones to shop, according to Arc Worldwide, the marketing services arm of advertising agency Leo Burnett.

Abercrombie & Fitch has bowed to controversy over a swimsuit deemed inappropriate for young girls by raising the target audience for the garments to 12 and older. Previously, abercrombie kids had been offering a spring line of bikinis with a padded bra that was being marketed to girls as young as 7.