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Showing posts from July, 2017

Where is Target in the eCommerce Arms Race?

In the Digital War Target has been lacking in headlines relative to its peers (i.e.: Amazon and Walmart). But recently Target's CEO, Brian Cornell, had an interview (see it here: https://youtu.be/dPBZ-Xrdb7Y) to discuss his strategic approach. Part of that approach includes pulling back on moon-shot initiatives and focusing on the core. This includes things like; opening smaller footprint stores in urban centers, store remodeling and fulfillment. Cornell commented that Target had brought in entrepreneurs that they provided seed money to but he felt that they were “drifting out to another universe” and that he wanted to see shorter lead-times in the payoff to the investment. He also wanted to refocus the investments on the core business with the consumer in mind first. Is this new approach to innovation more like pitching around the edges? Should Target have had (and should have) a long-term strategic approach that would have enabled the entrepreneurs they brought in to be

The shift from the path to digital road to purchase is starting to cause pain points outside of just brick & mortar retail

Both Coke and Pepsi made comments recently reflecting how their businesses are being negatively impacted as more consumer no longer visit malls driving down purchase incidences (think less people buying in food courts and vending machines). It also seems that CPG, which has long relied on the 3-tier process of getting their goods into the hands of consumers, have just watched the behemoth of Amazon mow down brick & mortar chain one after the other with little regard that is until that same behemoth bought Whole Foods. If anything it should be a wakeup call for CPG marketers to begin racing (not walking) to devise new ways for their products to get in front of and be purchased by their target consumers (see Millennials). But to do so as the below article calls out requires a change in their go-to-market strategies. CPGers that rely on warehouse models may be less affected because one would think they can shift the use of those warehouses to go from stores to homes (can Uber p