Target Ushers In The Digital Shopping Era With In-Store QR Code Section

The digital shopping world is firmly upon us. Target is making the lives of parents a little easier this winter, with the addition of QR Code shopping. The company is planning to prop up 20 popular toys in a special section of the store in the weeks leading up to the holidays, with each of them boasting QR codes. The company will let parents scan the codes of toys they'd like to discretely purchase, and then they can sort out the shipping details later -- and shipping is free to anywhere in America. It's a really interesting take on shopping, and the benefits are numerous. For one, it'll allow parents to snag a toy without their kid seeing it in the cart. Secondly, it'll help those in urban areas from having to lug boxes back from the store. Honestly, it feels like precisely the kind of next-gen initiative that other outlets like Walmart will soon ape in a bid to stay competitive. Something tells us FedEx and UPS will love it...

Target Makes Shopping for Top Toys Easier this Holiday Season

Annual list of top 20 toys includes favorite brands and Target exclusives

MINNEAPOLIS- October 03, 2012--To help guests find the perfect gift for the kids on their lists, Target(R) Corp. (NYSE:TGT) is unveiling multiple initiatives that deliver added convenience and savings on this year's top toys - including QR codes, an interactive toy catalog with an enhanced digital wish list and more prominent shelf placement for the season's most popular toys.

Beginning Oct. 14, Target will showcase the top 20 toys on the main aisle in- store to make finding gifts easier for time-strapped holiday shoppers. For added convenience, each of the top toys will have a QR code that can be scanned to purchase the toy directly using a mobile device and ship it for free to anyone, anywhere in the U.S.

Target's annual toy catalog will arrive in homes in early November and feature more than 200 toys, specially priced, to give guests the best value on the toys that kids want most. In addition to sale prices on individual items, the catalog includes coupons that can be used on a guest's total purchase, giving shoppers a flexible way to save. Target REDcard shoppers can save an additional 5 percent off the toy prices featured in the catalog and in stores and on Target.com.

Target is also making it easy to create and share wish lists with a new online tool on Target.com where guests can browse the toy catalog and organize their must-have toys into a Target Digital Wish List that is instantly shareable with anyone via email. Kids will love sharing their picks with friends and family, while gift givers will appreciate the savings.

Starting Oct. 14, guests can visit a new dedicated toys Web page, Target.com/ TopToys, to easily find and shop 10,000 items -- with more than 300 exclusives from Barbie(R) , Fisher Price(R) and Target owned brands such as Circo(R) and PlayWonder(R) . This dedicated page will give guests multiple options to browse, including age, gender, brand or character to easily find something for every child on their list.

As the countdown to holiday shopping gets underway in December, Target will refresh the in-store shopping experience by featuring top brand collections on the main aisle -- giving mom another easy way to quickly locate the toys kids want, including exclusives from Tagamoto, Street League and Laser Pegs.

"Target is the ultimate destination for toy shopping this holiday season. Not only do we have the hottest toys, we are helping guests shop the way they want -

- in stores, online and directly from their mobile devices," said Stephanie Lucy, vice president of toys, Target. "Our in-store QR codes for this year's top toys will add real convenience for busy moms. Now, rather than hoping the kids won't notice when a gift is slipped into the cart, guests can scan the QR codes to buy top toys and have them shipped anywhere for free."

Target Unveils Top 20 Toy List

Target partnered with the top toy manufacturers to uncover the hot toy trends for holiday 2012. Target's Top Toy list features Target exclusives and brand favorites like Hasbro(R) , LEGO(R) , LeapFrog(R) and Mattel(R) and includes selections for boys and girls of every age.

9 Months to 2 Years:

-- Hasbro(R) PLAYSKOOL Rockitivity Walk 'n Roll Rider

3 to 4 Years:

-- Just Play(TM) Bounce Bounce Tigger

-- Hasbro(R) BABY ALIVE Baby Wanna Walk

5 to 7 Years:

-- Hasbro(R) FURBY

-- HEXBUG(R) Warriors Battle Zone Playset

-- Mattel(R) Hot Wheels(R) Wall Tracks Power Tower(R) Track Set

-- Fisher-Price(R) Imaginext(R) Eagle Talon Castle

-- Leap-Frog LeapPad2 Explorer Exclusive Bundle (Target exclusive)

-- LEGO(R) Friends Emma's Horse Trailer (Target exclusive)

-- Mattel(R) Barbie Photo Fashion Doll

-- Mattel(R) Monster High(R) Scary Tales Doll (Target exclusive)

-- MGA Entertainment(R) Lalaloopsy Harmony B. Sharp

-- Hasbro(R) NERF N-Strike Elite Hail-Fire Blaster

-- Hasbro(R) Spider-Man Dual Action Web Shooter

8 and Up:

-- Spin Master Air Hogs(R) Hover Assault

-- MEGA Brands(R) HALO 4 Warthog Vehicle

-- Hasbro(R) BEYBLADE: METAL FURY DESTROYER DOME

-- Hasbro(R) BOP-IT Smash

-- Hasbro(R) EASY BAKE Ultimate Oven

-- LEGO(R) Super Heroes Batwing Battle Over Gotham City