In a move that isn't much of a surprise, retailer Target is quietly increasing shelf space allocated for Blu Ray discs.

Target announced in July that they would sell Blu Ray players, but not carry rival HD DVD hardware this holiday season. At the time of the announcement they also made it clear that they would continue to offer their customers movies in both formats. The change in shelf space dedicated to Blu Ray makes sense given their holiday alliance with Sony to exclusively carry Blu Ray hardware. Blu Ray has steadily gained marketshare in 2007, spearheaded by Playstation 3 videogame console sales. HD DVD claims the lead over Blu Ray in installed standalone players, and since Paramount announced exclusive HD DVD support, HD DVD sales have been creeping back upwards. Nielsen sales ratio of discs sold since inception stands at 61% Blu Ray 39% HD DVD as of September 9.

The holiday season is overwhelmingly important for both sides, as we wait to see if Toshiba can capitalize on it's current momentum, or if Sony will grind HD DVD down with it's sheer numbers and retail shelf space advantage.