America is seeing a retail meltdown, with even stalwart brands like Macy's and Sears in bad shape. Target is looking to open source as a means of weathering the collapse.

Amazon and other online shopping options are, of course, part of retail's difficulties. But there's more to it than that. While overall retail spending is growing steadily but slowly, retailers are hurt by the rise of e-commerce, oversupply of malls and a shift in discretionary spending away from buying and toward acquiring new experiences.

Target is looking to technology as part of the solution to weathering the collapse, seeking to provide shoppers with customized experience across mobile, web and retail; enable in-store pickup of items purchased online; and rationalize its supply chain. And it sees open source as integral to that strategy, as key to keeping "tighter control" over its technology infrastructure, says Lakshmi Sharma, Target vice president of cloud and computing. Visit Enterprise Cloud News for more: Target Looks to Open Source to Hit Bullseye.

And for more on the sad state of retail, see The Atlantic: What in the World Is Causing the Retail Meltdown of 2017?

— Mitch Wagner Editor, Enterprise Cloud News