Target and E-BusinessEssay Preview: Target and E-BusinessReport this essayTarget and E-BusinessACC/340January 27, 2014University of PhoenixAbstractElectronic business (E-business) is the process of conducting business on the internet (Nelson, 2005). The business aspect of the definition relates to all forms of business including sales to customers, servicing those customers, and collaborating with other businesses. E-business provides opportunities for businesses to reach a customer base that extends worldwide, taking retailers from brick and mortar to international sales. This paper will evaluate the effect e-business has had on Target over the years and the advantages, limitations, and risks that are involved in the endeavor.
Target and E-BusinessTarget Corporation began as a dry goods company named Dayton Company established by the founder George Draper Dayton in 1902. Mr. Dayton developed a brick and mortar business that flourished during the early 1900s (Target, 2014). The companys first expansion occurred in 1954 with the opening of a Daytons in Rochester Minnesota. Following this first expansion, Daytons continued to open more locations in the surrounding suburbs of Rochester. In 1962, the company changed the store name to Target and was a “new idea in discount stores” (Target, 2014). By differentiating itself as a discount store chain, the company opens its first store outside of Minnesota, in the Denver metropolitan area. By 1967 corporation has expanded to a national scale and continued the success of affordable, quality merchandise, community giving, and good corporate governance. By 1998, Target stores totaled 851 units with annual sales of $23.0 billion and more than nine million registered Target Guest Card users (Target, 2014). In 1999, Target launched its e-commerce website that offered merchandise that was not available in-store. By 2003, Target had teamed with Amazon.com to continue the strong increase in on-line sales.
Target continues to grow internationally through the building of new brick-and-mortar locations as well as increased interest in on-line sales. At fiscal year-end 2012, Target had 1,778 U.S. stores with 361,000 employees. Total revenue for the same period was $73,301,000, which was an overall sales increase of 5.1% and 2.7% of the increase occurred in stores.
AdvantagesIn 2011, Target Corp. re-launched its e-commerce website with the integration of social media and e-mail capabilities. In 2012, Target invested heavily in the digital services provided to customers. Target launched the Target app and QR code programs in 2012 and continues to enhance mobile technology and in-store digital campaigns. The corporation earned the Mobile Marketers 2012 “Mobile Commerce Program of the Year” which emphasizes the corporations commitment to deliver personalized shopping for all customers using all selling channels. Target also launched its “Give With Friends” program that uses a new social buying app allowing Facebook users, to gather
a set of personalized information for purchase on each company’s online and in-store store.
1. Target.com e-Commerce (and our online products & services):
Since 2013, Target® has been developing and supporting its mobile e-commerce experience with the new mobile e-commerce platform with many of our customers including partners of foreign countries. The launch of this platform includes the enhanced ability of merchants to seamlessly integrate in-store and digital advertising, with their customers, on the same service network (e-commerce partners). Target and our e-commerce partners will continue to focus on the mobile platforms for the rest of the year to help expand the e-commerce business as we continue to grow. For more, please see our latest release on mobile e-commerce.
2. Target.com e-commerce products & services for Android, iOS and PC:
Target and E-Commerce are proud to introduce a new approach to the e-commerce business that supports a range of mobile products and services while also supporting their e-commerce business for the future.
Target, along with Apple’s iMessage program and Samsung’s own e-commerce program (and our own e-commerce platform) allow merchants to add more than 100 unique identifiers, in-store photos and shopping cart names for any given device and also allow consumers to purchase at wholesale rates. For more detailed information about the current technology platforms, visit www.takinterapp.com/mobile/ecommerce.
3. Target.com mobile commerce program for devices and wireless devices:
Target partnered with Gizmo to deliver a new mobile commerce program called Mobile Commerce to over 5.1 million mobile devices and mobile plans in just two weeks and as part of our new partnership, also made it available to over 250,000 customers. From November 1 to 4, 2013, each participating mobile carrier, on a limited license basis (2 to 4 in a number of markets), also contributed a fee of $10 to any participating mobile device or plan participating in our Mobile Commerce program. Mobile Commerce also supports your choice of a variety of digital and mobile digital tools, such as mobile-only email and mobile-only real-time advertising platforms.
Target and Gizmo’s Mobile Commerce program will include mobile information security, digital signage and mobile app integrations. These integration tools are part of the integration platform we support for mobile commerce and are available now for more than 200 countries (China, India and Saudi Arabia). The program supports merchants and consumers with mobile information systems on the mobile device, and will give them the ability to easily and seamlessly communicate and respond to an issue with customized features at a fraction of the cost. The mobile-only content and