What’s your favorite thing about large supermarkets and grocery chains?
One of the reasons large retail chains are so popular, besides the obvious (many offerings at one place, affordable prices, etc.), is their continued focus on customer satisfaction.
Today’s competition in the retail industry is fierce. Businesses are also facing challenges such as a post-pandemic economic climate and rising inflation, among others.
To stay competitive, retailers must innovate with their offerings and promotions while maintaining consistent quality. Do all this, and customer loyalty grows.
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Target (TGT) , the seventh-largest retailer in the United States and a component of the S&P 500 Index, frequently upgrades its offerings.
In March 2024, the retail chain launched “Express Self-Checkout” across close to 2,000 stores. It set up a strict 10-item or fewer limit to make the lines quicker.
With this faster self-checkout system, Target addressed one of the issues consumers hate the most: long frustrating lines.
Fast forward to one year later. The strategy proved successful, with overall transaction times across both staffed and self-checkout lanes improving by almost 8%.
What’s more, customers begin to report a better overall experience. Target’s Net Promoter Score for wait times increased by 5 points, and its score for team member interactions jumped by 3 points.
Now, Target has another surprise for loyal customers.
Target just made same-day delivery more affordable for loyalty members.
Image source: Universal Images Group via Getty Images
Target awards Target Circle 360 members with a new upgrade
The retail giant revealed on May 19 that it is removing price markups on same-day delivery from over 100 popular retailers and grocers outside of Target.
While same-day delivery from Target has always been free from price markups, this upgrade will also make same-day delivery from many more retailers more affordable.
“From the start, Target Circle 360 has been about building strong relationships with our guests and growing with them to deliver more value and ease. We’ve never charged markups on same-day delivery from Target, and now Target Circle 360 members can exclusively enjoy this no-markup benefit from more than 100 retailers and grocers across Shipt’s network, too,” stated Cara Sylvester, Target executive vice president and chief guest experience officer. “We’ve built a true digital shopping center experience — making your Saturday errand run easier, faster, and more affordable.”
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Target Circle 360 doesn’t limit its members to a single retailer. Rather, it offers them unlimited same-day delivery from Target and Shipt’s curated marketplace of over 100 retailers and grocers.
These include CVS, Lowe’s Home Improvement, PetSmart, Hy-Vee, Giant Eagle, Lowers Foods, and more.
The latest upgrade makes Target Circle360 into a digital shopping center. The company estimates that members can save seven hours a month and more than $300 a year on average.
Target’s recent setbacks
Not everything has been running smoothly at one of the biggest retailers in the U.S. Risks emerge with each new decision, and there’s no way to be 100% certain how Target’s large customer base will react.
In 2023, Target saw a huge boycott from consumers over its Pride collection, due to backlash over items marketed toward children. Since then, Target’s diversity, equity, and inclusion policies have been under scrutiny, and even its sales have been affected for several quarters.
More recently, the retail giant scaled back its DEI initiative, which caused more protests and lower store traffic. Target discontinued its three-year DEI goals and ended programs supporting Black employees and businesses.
While CEO Brian Cornell admitted mistakes and tried to assure employees about the company’s core values, new boycott threats, most notably from The People’s Union USA, are scheduled for June.
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