Target to Roll Out Fresh Grocery Pickup Nationwide

Following successful pilots in the Twin Cities and Kansas City markets, Target is expanding its Order Pickup and Drive Up services nationwide to include fresh and frozen grocery items. The announcement comes after Minneapolis-based Target saw online and food sales soar during its fiscal first-quarter.

The fresh and frozen rollout will begin in the Midwest, with the enhanced services available in more than 400 stores by the end of the month. By the holidays, Target said the offering will be available in more than 1,500 stores. Target has more than 1,800 stores in the U.S., according to its website.

“The speed and convenience of our fulfillment options … [have] become even more critical for our guests searching for easy and safe ways to shop during the pandemic. By adding fresh grocery to the pickup services our guests already love, we’re giving them even more reasons to shop at Target,” John Mulligan, Target’s chief operating officer, said in a release.

The arrival of the coronavirus and stay-at-home orders caused a surge in grocery pickup and delivery, as well as new trial with consumers who have never used pickup or delivery before. According to a Kantar survey, Target was the retailer consumers were most likely to try for finding products their typical grocer might have run out of due to pandemic shopping.

The expansion to Order Pickup and Drive Up—which already boasted 250,000 items in categories such as home, apparel and essentials—adds 750 items across produce, dairy, bakery, meat and frozen.

Orders selected for Pickup or Drive Up are ready within a few hours and are free, with no membership or minimum order required. (RedCard holders and Target Circle members are still able to get discounts on items.)