Target shuts down its 'Store of the Future' project

An effort to bring Target stores into future has reportedly been nixed before it could ever see the light of day. As Recode reports, Target's aptly named "Store of the Future" project, which would have put the retailer in direct competition with Amazon's forthcoming cashier-free Go stores, was abruptly canceled after a disappointing holiday season. According to Recode's sources, the new, smaller stores were slated to debut sometime this year and an internal team had already begun building out a test version. Instead of the normal rows and aisles most Target customers are used to, the Store of the Future would look more like a showroom and employ a team of robots to pick up items and bring them to customers at checkout. The stores also had an e-commerce component and Target intended to use the spaces to encourage other, non-retail experiences and community gatherings.