The goal is to add Starbucks curbside pickup to boost sales
Target plans to increase sales by introducing Starbucks curbside pickup at its major stores, the company announced on Wednesday.
The Minnesota-based retailer rolled out the service in select cities this summer, and the new perk is expected to be available by fall at 1,700 field locations nationwide that have Starbucks coffee shops, as well as Drive Up pickup.
Target, which faces stiff retail competition from companies like Walmart, Amazon, Costco, and Dollar General, has nearly 2,000 locations across the United States.
Target and Starbucks have signed a deal that will allow the retail chain to license the Seattle-based coffee brand at its locations.
Starbucks baristas at Target locations are employed by the retailer, which has worked with the coffee giant for 20 years.
“Our guests have long told us that Drive Up is a game changer that makes their everyday lives easier, especially when they’re short on time,” said Mark Schindele, Target’s chief stores office.
“We continued to listen to our guests, who overwhelmingly told us that Drive Up with Starbucks would add even more ease and joy to any Target run.”
The Post has reached out to Target and Starbucks for comment.
Target shares were trading flat on Wednesday.
Last fall, Target launched a pilot program at about 250 locations, allowing shoppers who pre-purchased online to order a coffee or other item from the Starbucks menu while they picked up groceries at the curb.
The service proved popular with customers, and many ordered popular items like the oat milk espresso shaken with brown icing sugar, the birthday cake pop, and the macchiato with iced caramel.
Drive Up proved to be a winning hit for Target during the COVID pandemic.
The retailer reported that its annual sales increased by approximately $31 billion between the fiscal year ended January 2020 and the fiscal year ended January this year.
The company’s stock price, which has soared as high as $260 per share during the pandemic, is down about 50%.
The company found itself at the center of a violent culture war earlier this year, with many on social media calling for a boycott of the chain over its LGBTQ-friendly merchandise that was on sale during Pride Month.
Controversial items that drew the ire of many included “tuck-friendly” underwear, which targeted gender-biased consumers.
A conservative rights organization sued Target on Tuesday on behalf of an investor, saying the retailer misrepresented the adequacy of its risk controls when it was surprised by customer reaction to LGBTQ-themed merchandise.
America First Legal filed the lawsuit on behalf of investor Brian Craig in federal court in Florida against Target, CEO Brian Cornell and the company’s board of directors.
America First is a nonprofit group led by Stephen Miller, a former adviser to ex-President Donald Trump.
With post wires
