Updated! Target’s top brass is in town for CES 2016 and in between booth tours and vendor meetings they managed to share their impressions of the show.
Here’s what the nation’s No. 2 discount chain had to say about what they saw (courtesy Target’s Bullseye blog):
Chairman/CEO Brian Cornell, on Samsung: “As I walked the CES floor, I was really impressed by what I saw from Samsung. They are driving incredible innovation across multiple categories — appliances, refrigerators, watches, speakers, phones, TVs and even air vents. They will be introducing some really terrific products in the near future and I look forward to seeing consumer response to these new technologies.”
Chief marketing officer Jeff Jones, on connected fitness: “A tidal wave of newness is coming to fitness technology and many companies are on the cusp of changing the game. From nutrition and sleep to how you exercise, it’s all going to be measured, linked and tracked. Wearables are here to stay and getting smarter every year.”
Chief strategy and innovation officer Casey Carl, on IoT: “One thing I learned at CES was how critical global infrastructure investments will be to determining the rate of adoption and innovation in IoT.”
Senior user experience architect, Target Open House, Adam Laskowitz, on IoT: “Being at CES helped confirm for me how close my team [in San Francisco] is to the developments in the IoT community. I expected to engage with a lot more up-and-coming companies at their booths, but the most meaningful conversations I had at CES were around strengthening some of our existing relationships with players in the IoT community.”
Hardlines senior VP Scott Nygaard, on customization: “Customization and personalization are coming faster than ever in the technology world. Whether it’s personalized 3D-printed headphones, health and wellness products with personal diagnostics, or other connected app-based products including TVs, consumers will be able to customize their lives. And if we think our phones are important today, it will soon be the personal remote control for our entire lives.”
Hardlines VP/GMM Ryan Beach, on technology’s reach: “Prior to CES, the Consumer Electronics Association changed their name to the Consumer Technology Association, a change that illustrates how technology is impacting almost every major industry segment and is going to impact every corner of our guest’s lives. This continued evolution is reflected at CES more than ever this year.”
Media and guest engagement senior VP Kristi Argyilan: “I had two main takeaways this year. First, now that smart appliances are maturing, I think manufacturers and product companies will have a new obsolescence problem that has to be solved for. And second, I’m intrigued by the development of technology that works on frequencies outside of wireless and broadband — there is massive potential for communicating in new ways.”
Target + Techstars retail accelerator managing director Ryan Broshar, on advances in home entertainment: “It seems like the future of entertainment is that it will be centered around consuming it in your home. Everything from massive theater-like high definition TVs to immersive virtual reality sets are meant to provide you on-demand entertainment and keep you from ever having to leave your house.”
Target Open House growth and innovation leadKate Whitcomb, on robotics: “It’s been incredible to see the advancements in robotics over the past few years. For the first time, I can see the possibility of having a companion robot in my house to help with day-to-day tasks like cleaning, answering the door and scheduling my day. The future of in-home robotic helpers in our homes and offices isn’t as far away as it once seemed.”
