We’re half-way through November—that moment in the year when we realize our calendars are officially jam-packed with shopping days, holiday parties and family get-togethers between now and New Year’s Eve. At Target, we know that means every minute—every second!—counts, so we’ve been working all year to improve one of the best new shopping methods of the digital era: Order Pickup—the ability to buy online and pick up in a store. And for you pros who’ve been using Order Pickup for years, you’ll love one update in particular: This year, you can pick up your order beginning at 6 p.m. when stores open on Thanksgiving Day—no need to wait until Black Friday.

Read on to learn about the other ways we’re shaking things up and improving the experience:

We’re making it easier: In 325 stores nationwide, we're making it easier than ever to spot designated Target team members who can help with your orders. Those team members will sport white “Order Pickup” t-shirts and offer Order Pickup reusable bags that you can use throughout the holiday season and beyond. The goal?  Make your Order Pickup in-store experience as quick and efficient as possible.

We’re making it faster: Today more than 90 percent of our Order Pickups will be ready in an hour (up from 85 percent last year), thanks to the efforts of our team and enhancements to processes and technologies such as RFID. Say our team members are having difficulty locating an Order Pickup item in the store—that’s going to slow down the process and delay your pickup time. With RFID technology, our team members can quickly and accurately find what they’re looking for so we can complete your order and deliver everything you’re looking for without having to make you wait an extra minute.

We’re testing and learning:  About 80 of our top-volume Order Pickup stores were remodeled this fall to offer an elevated in-store experience. Some stores now have an appointed Order Pickup check-out area housed right within the Guest Services, Exchanges and Returns space. In other stores, Order Pickup has a designated space all to itself, keeping order fulfillment completely separate from the other services we offer. We’re trying out different options so we can understand which iteration works out best for you.

With all of these exciting new updates, you can expect your Order Pickup and holiday shopping experience to be better than ever. 

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