Target Readies For Holiday Shopping Season With Enhanced In-Store Pickup Options
By Christine Kern, contributing writer
Order Pickup service will be available starting at 6 PM on Thanksgiving Day.
In preparation for the holiday shopping rush, Target has announced that it is enhancing its buy online pickup in store program, making fulfillment easier for its customers. One of these features is that order pickup service will be available starting at 6 PM on Thanksgiving Day, when many Target stores are scheduled to open with Black Friday deals.
The improvements also include new easy-to-spot “Order Pickup” t-shirts for Target team members who can assist shoppers with their order fulfillment. Shoppers can also get Order Pickup reusable bags that can be used throughout the holiday season and beyond.
Target also has worked to increase the speed of fulfillment, making more than 90 percent of Order Pickups ready in an hour (an increase from 85 percent in 2015). RFID technology is just one element that is helping to make the process faster and more efficient.
Remodeled stores also have helped to elevate the in-store experience, including an appointed Order Pickup check-out area in the Guest Services, Exchanges and Returns space. Other stores also have designated Order Pickup spaces to keep order fulfillment segregated from other services.
Target has not been afraid to pilot new things and abandon them if they weren’t helping. In June, the retailers ended its curbside pickup program after it found that the pilot was not pulling its weight for the chain, as Innovative Retail Technologies reported. And in May, Target launched a pilot of 25 new “Stores of the Future,” spotlighting new displays and lighting, customer specialists and click-and-collect stations.
As shoppers demand more convenience and faster delivery of their products, the changes at Target could prove to be a determining factor in winning over customers. And with Target’s same-store e-commerce sales up 26 percent during the third quarter, it appears that the retailer is finding its stride just in time for the key holiday rush.