Target to begin offering same-day store-to-home delivery in select areas

Amazon seems to be king of the playground when it comes to delivery services. Offering free two-day, one-day, and sometimes same-day delivery in many areas across the US for its Prime members, Amazon really is king when it comes to getting products to you on a short time-table.

Many companies are trying to figure out how to combat this, like Walmart offering free two-day shipping on many items when you spend $35 or more. Last year, Target launched a free two-day shipping program on thousands of items to try to compete with Amazon, and today Target announced its plans to offer same-day store-to-home delivery in certain markets.

Target’s new delivery option won’t be available online, however. This new method is available when purchasing in-store. According to Target’s corporate website, this will be available for $7 on most general items, while larger products like furniture might include an additional $25 handling fee.

Target is really aiming this at markets where people are generally going to be using public transit options to get to and from its stores. People in these markets generally will just opt to order larger items online from retailers like Amazon with better pricing, or sometimes faster delivery options than Target typically offers.

This new same-day delivery offering will give Target shoppers an option to avoid long shipping times in order to get these larger products delivered. Some shoppers even hail an Uber or taxi in order to get larger purchases home, and this can help avoid that as well.

At the time of checkout, you’ll be able to opt for this new delivery feature and choose a two-hour window that works best for you. It’ll be easy to know if your Target offers same-day delivery when you shop by checking out the list below:

• You’ll see signage at available stores or team members will alert you to the service
• After going through the normal checkout process, tell the cashier you’d like home delivery
• Choose the delivery window, provide your address and other relevant delivery info, and leave items at the store
• Driver picks up your order and delivers it during the chosen delivery window

Currently, Target plans to launch this service at nearly 60 target stores in five major cities: Boston, Chicago, New York City, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C. It is set to roll out by the end of the month.

Chances are, if this test goes well in the select markets, it will begin to roll out nationwide eventually. There is no official word on that, however. Meanwhile, Target does plan to make same-day online deliveries available nationwide through Shipt by the year’s end.

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