Target Sells IoT Products at its Open House Store

Target has put a bullseye on the Internet of Things (IoT), and it’s good news for consumers interested in adding technology to their homes.

The giant retailer has just completed a major overhaul of its Target Open House store in San Francisco, which first opened in July 2015. For the past seven weeks, the store has been closed for renovation, finally opening February 10.

The new store features an area called the Garage where companies can showcase or launch their connected home products, while also receiving quantitative and qualitative feedback from Target shoppers. The space will preview 16 products that will rotate every month.

The newly redesigned store also has an enhanced personalized experience within the “acrylic home installation” area. It now more effectively demonstrates the potential of various connected products for the user. Guests will be asked to answer a series of questions, which allow the house to show a personalized example of how connected products could fit into their lives.

There is also a large event space to accommodate gatherings. The refreshed space will be modular, allowing Open House to more easily transition from a store during the day to a community gathering spot in the evening.

The interactive area has also been updated to vertically mounted touchscreen monitors. In all, the new space features around 70 IoT products.

Lastly, there are now enhanced feedback and analytics available for the manufacturers, including the ability to do A/B testing, the ability to view product interactions and comparative engagement data, see event recaps and receive qualitative feedback from shoppers.

Gene Han, vice president of Consumer Internet of Things (IoT) and head of Target’s innovation office, says the store had 150,000 guests during its initial 18-month run prior to the remodel.

“The feedback helped us more clearly understand what consumers need and want when it comes to IoT,” he says, adding that the connected home is “equal parts exciting and confusing” for many consumers.

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