AMAZON WILL BUY TARGET IN 2018, ANALYST PREDICTS

Amazon may make a bigger move into physical stores this year, according to influential tech analyst Gene Munster. The co-founder of venture capital firm Loup predicts the Internet e-commerce company will buy Target in 2018. The retailer is an ideal target for Amazon’s expansion because of its national footprint and focus on shoppers who are moms. “Amazon believes the future of retail is a mix of mostly online and some offline,” Munster wrote in a post Monday. “Target’s focus on mom(s) is central to Amazon’s approach to win wallet share.”