Target Unveils Proxima Digital-Twin Platform to Boost Inventory Availability

Target has introduced a new internal technology called Proxima, a digital twin of its inventory positioning system. The platform was created by the retailer's supply chain, product and engineering teams, according to an announcement on Target's website Thursday.

Proxima is designed to model how products flow from regional distribution centers to store shelves. It relies on the same data and logic as Target's live inventory platform, allowing teams to test potential decisions virtually before implementing them in real operations.

Target said the system helps improve product availability for guests, reduce potential supply chain disruptions, and modernize complex processes with greater certainty.

The move follows similar digital-twin initiatives at Walmart and Lowe's, which have used virtual replicas of stores, warehouses and products to predict issues, design new spaces and power e-commerce features.

Proxima is the latest in a series of steps Target has taken over the past year to strengthen inventory management, including bringing in a new supply chain leader, opening an experimental supply chain facility, and reviewing which stores should fulfill online orders instead of distribution centers.