Less than a week after news broke of Google testing a new grocery delivery service in two U.S. cities, Target has joined the fray.
As part of a new partnership with on-demand grocery service Instacart, Target is piloting a grocery delivery program in Minneapolis that will allow consumers in the area to use Instacart.com or the Instacart app to purchase items from Target. After a purchase is made, consumers can opt to have their items delivered to their homes.
Consumers receive free delivery with their first Instacart order. Purchases of $35 or more will garner charges starting at $3.99 for a guaranteed two-hour delivery. All Instacart orders have a $10 purchase minimum.
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Instacart makes deliveries from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. On holidays, delivery hours are based on Target store hours. Guests can view available delivery times for their area at checkout and from the shopping cart on Instacart.com.
“Our goal is to make grocery shopping easier and more convenient,” said Jason Goldberger, President of Target.com and Mobile. “Our team is constantly listening to guests’ needs and looking for new ways to help them shop Target wherever, whenever and however they want. Instacart is a leading player in this space and we look forward to seeing how guests in the Minneapolis area respond to the service.”
Both companies are “exploring plans to expand into additional areas and markets,” according to a company statement. The partnership comes on the heels of Target expanding its ship-from-store program and its curbside pickup test, which started in San Francisco and now is available in 10 stores across New York and New Jersey.
Target has been revamping its grocery business by reemphasizing on specific categories such as healthy snacks, coffee and tea, premium sauces and oils, specialty candy, wine and craft beer, and yogurt and granola.
