One of America’s top merchants is finding a creative way to deal with the pandemic.
Customers can soon drive to a nearby Target (NYSE:TGT) and pick up fresh and frozen grocery items like milk and bread, without browsing aisles or parking the car.
The national retailer said Thursday that it’s adding hundreds of grocery items to its same-day services as many Americans look for safer ways to shop during the coronavirus pandemic. It will offer them at over 400 stores by the end of the month and more than 1,500 stores by the holidays. That’s roughly 80% of its 1,871 stores nationwide.
Target Chief Operating Officer John Mulligan said speed and convenience have “become even more critical for our guests searching for easy and safe ways to shop during the pandemic.”
The Minneapolis-based Target goes on to say its expanded assortment will include 750 new produce, dairy, bakery, meat and frozen items along with those already offered, like paper towels, canned goods and cereal. Shoppers buy the items online and pick up their bagged purchases inside of the store or by curbside.
Target had already planned to add fresh and frozen groceries to same-day services this year, but that effort has taken on new urgency as grocery items and online sales become crucial sales drivers. During the pandemic, Americans have cooked more at home and made fewer trips to stores.
When they shop, they’re often filling up baskets with food and essentials or using contactless options, such as home grocery delivery or curbside pickup.
TGT shares slid 71 cents to $119.01.