Hardware Retailing The Industry's Source for Insights and Information
Target will be testing a next-day delivery service for a limited number of customers in its headquarters city of Minneapolis this summer, the company reports.
The service, called Target Restock, will be open to customers in Minneapolis that currently have Target’s REDcard, the big-box retailer’s credit and debit card. Cardholders will have access to an exclusive website where they can order essentials, such as laundry detergent, and grocery dry goods, such as coffee.
Instead of paying per item, customers will pay a flat fee for the items that fit in a shipping box. The company did not specify the fee or the size of the box in the release.
Orders will be fulfilled at Target retail stores, and customers who place their order before 1:30 p.m. will receive it by the next business day.
Other brick-and-mortar retailers have launched free or reduced shipping programs and have made changes to their free shipping policies to compete against Amazon Prime. Earlier this year, Walmart announced it would end its subscription delivery service and instead lower its free shipping minimum purchase amount for all customers.
Independent home improvement retailers are making strides in omnichannel solutions as well. Last fall, Hardware Retailing spoke with True Value chief operating officer Abhinav Shukla about the co-op’s direct-to-consumer shipping program.
