Target, Shipt roll out online delivery in Midwest

Target Corp. has expanded online delivery of groceries and other products via its Shipt subsidiary in six Midwestern states, collectively reaching another 12 million households.

Plans call for Shipt same-day delivery of more than 55,000 groceries, household essentials, electronics, toys, home and other items from Target stores to begin in most of the new markets in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio and Wisconsin on June 14.

In support of the rollout, the companies are boosting their network of Shipt personal shoppers in those areas and offering consumers who sign up before the service launches a $50 discount on the annual membership of $99 plus a $15 credit to spend on a Target order of $100 or more.

“This regional expansion underscores our continued mission to evolve the shopping experience through personalization, increased product offerings and varied retailer options,” Shipt Chief Marketing Officer Harley Butler said in a statement. “Through our app, our members have access to everything they need, when they need it, right at their fingertips. Looking ahead, Shipt will continue to expand and bring same-day delivery to a growing number of households across the country.”

In Illinois, Shipt delivery from Target stores is slated to become available on June 7 in Rockford and on June 14 in the Bradley, Champaign-Urbana, Normal and Springfield metropolitan areas. The service was piloted with select retailers last July.

Nine metro areas in Ohio will get access to Shipt delivery from Target: Cincinnati, Columbus, Dayton, Mansfield, Sandusky and Toledo starting on June 14; Akron and Canton on June 19; and Cleveland on June 21. Shipt had made its debut in the state in January 2016.

On June 14, the service is set to kick off in Detroit, Flint, Grand Rapids, Jackson, Kalamazoo, Lansing, Marysville-Fort Gratiot, Mt. Pleasant-Alma, North Lakeshore, Saginaw and Traverse City, Mich., as well as in Evansville, Fort Wayne, Indianapolis, Kokomo, Lafayette, Muncie and South Bend, Ind. Shipt delivery originally launched on a limited basis in September 2016 in Michigan and in April 2017 in Indiana.

An annual Shipt membership provides free, same-day delivery on orders of more than $35. Members go online to the Shipt marketplace to browse, search and shop the in-store assortment of products. They also can note preferences, select a one-hour delivery window and pay for their order. Personal shoppers then pick, bag and deliver the orders.

Also in the Midwest expansion, Shipt’s service is due to begin on June 14 in Appleton, Green Bay and Milwaukee, Wis.; Bowling Green, Lexington, Louisville and Owensboro, Kent.; and metro St. Louis. Shipt was piloted in those markets last June, July and September.

Currently, Shipt deliveries from Target stores are available to about 50 million households in more than 100 markets nationwide. The companies expect the service to be in 180 markets, reaching 80 million households, by the end of 2018.