WSJ: Denver-area Targets take a page out of e-commerce playbook

NEW YORK — Retailers who have been taking a page out of the online retailer's playbook by experimenting with showroom areas and stores without inventory have been achieving some success, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal published Wednesday. 

 

For example, 29 Denver-area Target stores feature patio furniture showrooms where shoppers can browse in-store but only purchase online. Removing the inventory requirement from within the store enabled Target to display pricier floor models, which in turn generated a sales lift across those pilot stores that was double the chain-wide average in that category, Eddie Baeb, Target spokesman, told The Journal. The next inventory-free display category for Target may include household furniture. 

 

According to the report, this style of browse-and-buy for a later delivery appeals to men more than women.