Target Corp. is getting ready for fall and the holiday shopping season with a range of initiatives, including a fresh home decor collection, a design-focused event in New York City and AI developments.
The new Threshold – A Collection with @ThisOakHouse is an exclusive lineup developed to bring warmth, character and continuity to home spaces, according to Target. The collaboration with author and creator Annie Meyers-Shyer takes its inspiration from her love of antiques, natural materials and timeless design, the company added, with prices starting at $25.
The retailer said the new collection (pictured above) demonstrates how Target continues to bring guests differentiated assortments that pair fresh creative perspectives with the strong design and everyday affordability. The collection includes throw pillows, ceramic vases, hurricane vases, a woven rattan vase and tray, candle holders, faux greenery, a knit throw and Meyers-Shyer’s book, “This Oak House.”
“Guests want their homes to feel personal and inspiring, with great design that makes it easy to express their own style,” said Mara Sirhal, Target senior vice president, merchandising, home. “As we reinvent Threshold throughout 2026, we’re building on what guests already love while sharpening the brand’s point of view with more distinctive design, elevated details and incredible value. Our collaboration with @ThisOakHouse is an exciting expression of where Threshold is headed, with much more to come.”
In New York, Target is hosting a two-day event September 10-11 at 235 Bowery, where it present what it calls a “New Museum Retail Experience.” The free event, dubbed “Target by Design,” showcases the retailer’s commitment to accessible design and the creative talent. Target characterized the event as a showcase of its design approach using everyday objects, such as the Target cart and a lipstick elevated to the status of art, as well as reinterpretations of the Target bag by leading and emerging creators and presentations of past iconic collaborations, including one with architect and innovator Michael Graves.
The “New Museum Retail Experience” will invite visitors to view design through a Target lens. Under the designation “The Store: Designed for Discovery,” for instance, consumers can visit a space where they can explore how everyday shopping at Target can turn up new products and styles. So, visitors can try out:
- The Magic Mobile. A reimaging of a Target run with everyday products crafted to constitute an immersive installation.
- Bullseye the Oracle. A Target twist on the classic Fortune Teller game that gives visitors a peak at their shopping futures.
- Doors of Discovery. Seven portals to hidden realms dedicated to Home, Style, Beauty Food, Wellness, Kids and Culture.
Visitors to the”New Museum Retail Experience” can customize their own Target bags and draw inspiration from examples designed by Public School New York duo Dao-Yi Chow and Maxwell Osborne, Max Alexander, Laila Gohar, Kahlana Barfield Brown, Daniel Arsham, Chloë Sevigny and Venus Williams, along with emerging stylists from Pensole Lewis College of Business and Design. They can customize scarves, keychains and pins, as well. In The Archive, visitors can explore Target’s design history featuring iconic collaborations and innovations, including pieces from Michael Graves, Marimekko and Missoni, alongside the evolution of the Target shopping cart and the award-winning ClearRx prescription bottle redesign.
On September 12, the event will extend to Target’s SoHo store, where shoppers can engage in interactive customization with exclusive Target bags from the design presentation and check out new-for-fall denim. On @Target Instagram, consumers can enter for a chance to win one of 10 reinterpreted Public School New York Target bags.
“Target by Design celebrates our long-standing commitment to making great design accessible, while showcasing the creative talent and ideas shaping what’s next,” said Michelle Mesenburg, chief brand officer, Target. “Across every aspect of our business and brand experience, our belief in the power of great design for all guides how we deliver what our guests have come to expect from Target: amazing style, thoughtful design and incredible value.”
Meanwhile, as the fall shopping season kicks off and the upcoming holidays begin making their presence felt, Target is touting enhanced AI functionalities. Launched in August and built directly into the Target app, AI-powered Photo Search provides consumers with a new way to shop the retailer by tapping an icon in the search bar and uploading or taking a photo to find similar products available at Target. Consumers can use Photo Search to seek products without the need to come up with elaborate descriptions.
In addition, Target’s AI-powered Review Insights feature, launched in June, identifies commonly discussed product attributes and organizes feedback into helpful themes, Target reported. A guest shopping for a cordless vacuum can quickly see what reviewers are saying about suction power, durability, weight and ease of use. Then, to facilitate return visits, Target’s Buy Again feature is using AI-driven personalization to surface frequently bought items, past purchases and relevant deals based on previous shopping behavior, while the company’s Continue Shopping option uses AI-powered personalization to reconnect guests with products they’ve recently viewed while surfacing relevant alternatives and offers.
“At Target, we’re focused on creating a shopping experience that’s easy, inspiring and friendly,” said Sarah Travis, Target executive vice president and chief digital and revenue officer. “Guests move naturally between our stores and digital channels, and we’re using AI and personalization in purposeful ways to help them find what they need faster, discover new possibilities and shop with confidence. These enhancements reduce friction while also showcasing the style, design and differentiated assortment that make Target special.”
Target’s delivery business, Shipt, is launching its own artificial intelligence-powered initiative. Ask Shipt, the operation’s intuitive AI assistant, is designed to let customers shop the way they naturally think, plan and live while making meal planning less of a hassle. Available on the Shipt app and shipt.com, the feature allows customers to describe something they’re looking for or even upload a photo to start building a fully customized cart in seconds. Whether balancing picky eaters or looking for a sale on the kids’ favorite snacks, Ask Shipt is here to help with the mental load of it all. Ask Shipt users can get results by uploading a photo of a dish seen on social media to get ingredients, build carts for events such as a tailgate and meal suggestions based on price range.
