Target

Target shoppers at a store in Van Nuys, Calif. were surprised and briefly inconvenienced when a flash mob assembled by season nine "American Idol" contestant Todrick Hall took over the front end of the store and blocked access to check-out stands. Dozens of dancers dressed in red and black outfits performed a well-choreographed routine in the aisles. At the conclusion of the routine they dispersed into nearby merchandise displays and checkout lanes leaving Hall in the aisle alone with a shopping cart as applause is heard in the background.

With Forrester Research estimating that U.S. online retail sales will grow at a 10 percent annual growth rate from 2010 to 2015, reaching $279 billion, retailers have become laser-focused on creating and maintaining customer loyalty and improving the online shopping experience. However, as the online shopping habits of consumers evolve, so too must retailers’ strategies to ensure the most customized online shopping experience. Here are three strategies that online retailers can implement to improve the customer shopping experience:

Target, Kohl's and J.C. Penney ranked highest among discounters in consumer perception in the first half of 2011, according to YouGov BrandIndex. The company interviews 5,000 people each weekday from a representative U.S. population sample, more than 1.2 million interviews per year. Here's YouGov’s Retail Buzz scores for discounters in the first half of 2011: Target (33.9), Kohl's (29.5), J.C. Penney (23.9), Costco (23.3), Dollar Tree (16.2), Wal-Mart (15.7), Sam's Club (15.4), Big Lots (15.4) and Dollar General (13.8).

Target has become the exclusive retail advertising partner for the launch of Mamiverse.com, a lifestyle, news and social media website for Latina moms and daughters. Target will actively engage with the Hispanic market through this English-language social network.

Want to know how cross-channel retail giant Target is managing its mobile marketing program? Listen in to this three-part podcast from Retail Online Integration's Spring Retail Marketing Virtual Conference & Expo where Dan Fine, director of digital experience at Target, discusses the retailer's mobile strategies, including its view of mobile coupons, the value of aligning its back-end systems to accommodate mobile shoppers and how it serves up a consistent brand message across all channels — including mobile.

Want to know how cross-channel retail giant Target is managing its mobile marketing program? Listen in to this three-part podcast from Retail Online Integration's Spring Retail Marketing Virtual Conference & Expo where Dan Fine, director of digital experience at Target, discusses the retailer's mobile strategies, including its view of mobile coupons, the value of aligning…

Target is proving that mobile plays an integral part in its brand with a new mobile campaign that not only highlights key supplies students need when they go back to school, but also lets them buy products straight from their devices.

Want to know how cross-channel retail giant Target is managing its mobile marketing program? Listen in to this three-part podcast from Retail Online Integration's Spring Retail Marketing Virtual Conference & Expo where Dan Fine, director of digital experience at Target, discusses the retailer's mobile strategies, including its view of mobile coupons, the value of aligning…

The usual suspects top this year's National Retail Federation's list of the 100 biggest retailers. But giants like Wal-Mart, Kroger and Target need to be on the lookout for two nontraditional retailers that could threaten their coveted spots.

Foursquare has surpassed the 10-million user mark, and the check-in site collected a number of facts about itself to complement the announcement. Target, Wal-Mart and Macy's have been noted as the most popular retail chains on the site.