Target sends letter to suppliers in effort to fight ‘showrooming’
Major retailer Target is taking action against an increasing trend occurring in its outlets that is troubling store operations: "showrooming."
Showrooming occurs when shoppers go to brick-and-mortar retailers to research, try out or see a product in person, but then buy it online from a rival, often at a discounted price, the Wall Street Journal reports.
In an effort to combat this shopping tactic, Target sent a letter to suppliers encouraging them to create products that would differentiate them from their competitors as well as joining with Target to match other retailers' prices.
"Target has a long tradition of getting suppliers to provide exclusive products," the source explains. "It has teamed up for years with fashion designers to offer time-limited discount clothing collections, and it recently announced it will open a series of temporary boutiques featuring clothes, food and home furnishings from popular regional stores."
Many retailers are opting for multichannel shopping as well as introducing new technologies and deals to encourage consumers to shop in-store rather than online.
