Target Testing 1-Day Delivery Service
Target Corp. is testing a service that allows shoppers to order everyday essentials online and have them delivered to their houses the next day.
The service, Target ReStock, is being tested at Target's Minneapolis headquarters by select team members, with the intent of piloting the service this summer with Minneapolis-area guests. Once the pilot is live, Minneapolis-area guests with a Target Redcard will be eligible to visit a dedicated online experience to access thousands of household essentials.
Guests will be able to fill a box with multiple items, and then have those orders shipped to their homes for a low flat fee. Orders will be packaged at a nearby store, allowing fulfillment before 1:30 p.m. the following business day.
“Imagine shopping for your household essentials from Target online – from your go-to brands of laundry detergent and paper towels, to granola bars and coffee – all on one virtual shelf,” Target said on its A Bullseye View blog. “Now imagine being able to have those items delivered to your home the next day. That’s the kind of convenience and personalization Target wants to provide guests with this pilot: Target Restock.”
The move comes at a time when other retailers – including rival mega-retailers Walmart and Amazon.com – are fine-tuning their omnichannel operations and making it easier for their patrons to get their groceries more easily than ever and however they want. Walmart, for instance, already has taken on Amazon's Prime subscription program by offering free two-day delivery for online orders and most recently has filed a patent to one-up Amazon's one-push-ordering Amazon Dash buttons. Amazon, on the other hand, has gone the opposite route and has been planning initiatives ranging from drive-up kiosks for click-and-collect purchases to cashier-free brick-and-mortar grocery stores. Meanwhile, services such as Instacart and Shipt are continuing their expansions nationwide, enabling customers to receive groceries at their doorsteps in just hours.