Ever since we shared our exciting news about acquiring Shipt last month, our teams have been busy getting ready to offer its same-day delivery services on Target’s assortment of groceries, essentials, home, electronics and other products. Today, we announced the first markets rolling out on Feb. 1—across 57 stores in Birmingham, Ala., and South Florida.
Not familiar with Shipt? Here’s how it works: Members use Shipt’s online marketplace to browse participating local retailers’ aisles online and purchase from a full selection of grocery and household items. Shipt shoppers then take the orders, visit the stores to buy the products and deliver them to the user on the same day, usually within just a few hours.
It’s a service that many of our guests have been asking for, so bringing it to them fast is a big priority.
“Our teams moved at lightning speed to get Target up and running on Shipt’s platform in less than eight weeks,” said John Mulligan, chief operating officer, Target. “And we’re not stopping there—we’ll keep expanding, with plans to offer Shipt’s services at nearly half our stores by the end of first quarter, and the majority of stores by the 2018 holiday season, making Target the first retailer to be able to offer same-day delivery in all major markets across the country.”
The strategy will mean unprecedented growth for Shipt too.
“We’re expanding our presence from around 70 markets to more than 160 markets by the end of the year. And we’ll grow our team by hiring more than 100,000 new shoppers on top of the 20,000 shoppers we have today,” said Bill Smith, founder and CEO, Shipt. “We’re excited to introduce the convenience of same-day delivery to Target guests across the country.”
How’d we pull it off so fast? As soon as the acquisition news broke, teams came together to create a rollout strategy that would have Target entering its first markets by Feb. 1. It was an ambitious plan, and Target and Shipt teams moved fast to make it happen.
One big challenge: Getting hundreds of thousands of individual products in Target’s aisles uploaded onto Shipt’s app for guests to access—including around 50,000 products (including many fresh foods) that weren’t already listed on Target.com. To do it, teams leveraged existing data, and members of both Target’s and Shipt’s teams visited some stores to gather additional info and check that items are listed accurately.
In the stores, our team members are excited to introduce the service. They’ll be on hand to help shoppers as they fulfill orders, and look forward to giving guests one more fulfillment option for getting their favorite products quickly and conveniently.
Can’t wait to try Shipt? Sign up here, and learn about more convenient delivery and pickup options Target offers to get all the products you love.
Don’t miss out on the latest Target news and behind-the-scenes happenings! Subscribe to our newsletter and get the top stories from A Bullseye View delivered straight to your inbox!