Ever since I was young, I’ve only ever known one way to find an item at a big brick-and-mortar retailer like Target — wander around until I stumble across it.
It’s not that I was too shy to approach the employees, it’s just that I was always too stubborn to “give up” and ask someone for help, but maybe if Target replaced the employees with robots, I would have changed my tune.
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According to a report from Fortune, Target is teaming up with startup accelerator Techstars in order to revolutionize the way that consumers shop at their stores. By the end of 2015, Target will have begun accepting applications from tech startups who will work with the corporation to provide tech-savvy solutions to the every day issues of running a retailer.
“We know that technology will continue to revolutionize retail, and that Target’s future will be built on innovation,” Casey Carl, Target’s chief strategy and innovation officer, tells Fortune.
Although Target has seen gains on the digital front, the corporation will be the first to admit that it’s fallen behind the competition in recent years. But working with Techstars and the startups it will soon recruit, it hopes to improve its image and take a leap forward into the future. That includes opening a concept store in 18-24 months which is rumored to include robot employees (and since Techstars has a robotics division, the rumor might not be too farfetched).
