After beta testing in Minnesota, Target is expanding its curbside pickup program Drive Up, with plans to roll out the service to around 1,000 locations by the end of 2018, according to Tech Crunch.
Using the Drive Up app, customers can place an order and receive notifications when it’s ready for pickup. Once users reach a location, curb service takes around two to three minutes. Drive Up is available for iOS users now and will come out on Android next month.
Orders increased by 10 percent during beta testing, according to Target. The service proved popular among families, as bulk household items — and diapers, in particular — were the most popular purchases during the initial test phase.
As part of its revamped business strategy — which focuses on creating more synergy between its brick-and-mortar stores and e-commerce — Target will renovate more than half of its 1,800 locations by 2020. The new stores will feature revamped parking spots, with some reserved for those who ordered online and want to pick up items quickly.
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Target’s efforts are on par with initiatives taken by competitors, like Walmart, to increase convenience for consumers, as part of traditional retailers’ aim to alleviate concerns about Amazon‘s e-tail dominance and make use of their extensive retail space.
Target itself recently unveiled a same-day delivery service, which is available in select markets and expected to roll out to most others by the 2018 holiday season. And Walmart has an Online Grocery service similar to Drive Up. Through the grocery pickup service, customers can purchase from 40,000 products online for same-day, in-store pickup.
