In a Nutshell
pros
- Delivery, pickup, and drive-up options
- Lots of specialty diet items
- 1-hour delivery window
cons
- Can’t get insulated packaging
- Same-day delivery is not available to all areas of the US
Target at a Glance
Services offered: Online shopping and delivery
Price per delivery: Free over $75, or $9.99
Delivery options: Same-day, next-day, drive-up, pickup
Subscription options: Annual subscription with Shipt, non-membership purchasing available
What’s Unique About Target?
Who doesn’t love Target? The familiar logo automatically brings a smile to most people’s faces as it’s recognized as the go-to place for all types of shopping, including clothing, electronics, games, and more. With the addition of online grocery deliveries, Target has just upped its popularity by a greater margin. You’ll get the same kind of variety and good pricing they offer in-store with its grocery shopping. This includes meats, seafood, fresh produce, dessert items, prepared sides, beverages, snacks, pantry favorites, alcohol, dairy items, and more. Plus, here are a few extras that I think make Target one of the best:
- Shopping list top-offs
Here’s a pretty cool feature that other online grocery delivery services don’t generally offer. Once you place your order, you can still add or take away items so long as the personal shopper hasn’t started shopping for you. That’s pretty standard, but the way Target takes this to the next level is by offering SMS messaging to the mix. You can send your Target shopper a text with any last-minute changes you want to make to your shopping list. It’s a really convenient way to add items you forgot about in a pinch.
- Same-day delivery and convenient delivery windows
Target uses Shipt for its same-day delivery service. This has a 4-week free trial if you’re a first-time member. After the free trial, a Shipt membership costs $99 per year. With this plan, you’ll get free shipping on all orders (no limits) that come to $35 or more. If you don’t sign up with Shipt, you’ll pay $9.99 per shipment. So basically, if you order grocery deliveries frequently (i.e., more than ten times per year), then it’s worth paying for the membership fee because you’ll make it back within ten shipments.
Now here’s the best part. Target lets you choose a 1-hour window for delivery. So you only have to be around for that hour. Most of the best online grocery delivery services offer a 2-hour window, which is great. 1-hour windows just make it that much more convenient.
Bear in mind that some items are not available for Shipt deliveries, including some electronics, shoes, and accessories. But we’re talking about groceries here, so no worries.
- Deals
Target is known for having great prices and good deals on quality products. And the online grocery offerings are no different. Look for buy-one-get-one-free offers, buy and save bulk ordering options, weekly discounts, and sale items to save more on your grocery shopping.
How It Works
If you’ve ever ordered from Target before (or anywhere else online, for that matter), you already know the drill: pick your items, enter payment details, and receive your order. Here’s a closer look at how that works out technically for online grocery shopping:
- Create an account
This is a fast step that just asks for an email address and password. I like that Target offers you the option to sign in with your mobile device but doesn’t make it mandatory like some online grocery delivery services (I’m talking to you, Amazon Fresh). You can put in a delivery address (or multiple addresses if you prefer), and you can even select a specific Target location nearby if you have a preference.
- Place your order
You can use the Target app or shop online to select from thousands of grocery items. Browse common categories like household essentials, beauty and health products, and pet supplies. Target also has some convenient meal kits if you are looking for fast dinner ideas. The site lets you refine your search results by brand, product type, and deals. The last one is particularly helpful if you’re looking to save. Click on the + sign to add items to your cart, and Target will tally up your total. I like that it shows you the running total so you can tailor your shopping, so it stays in line according to your budget.
- Check out and tailor your order
Once again, I was very impressed with Target’s checkout process. For one thing, it gives you the option to leave a note for your personal shopper. So if you are looking for green bananas, like a specific type of seasoning, or whatever other preferences you might have, you can jot it down on any item in your cart, and your personal shopper will oblige.
What’s more, Target lets you select a backup item. This is brilliant because frequently stores run out of a certain item on your list. When this happens, they might switch it out for a different, similar item. But you might have a preference of which item you would prefer to have as a second choice. Target gives you the ability to voice that opinion. Well done Target.
- Wait for your delivery
Target, or rather Shipt, delivers seven days of the week. And we’ve already discussed the super convenient 1-hour delivery window. So you really have a lot of flexibility in terms of delivery options. You can also opt to pick up your items in-store. They’ll be packed up and ready for either drive up or pick up in the store you’ve chosen.
Pricing
Target has good pricing on its products. And it also runs sales all the time. As mentioned, you can find buy-one-get-one-free sales, bulk order sales, and just regular weekly deal items all the time. So you can save a lot if you pay attention. We’ve already discussed the Shipt membership fees and cost-benefit analysis. Also, if you have a RedCard, Target’s membership card, you can save 5% on all your orders.
Help & Support
Target has a fantastic help center on its site, which is saying something because many of the other online grocery delivery services fall short in this area. Additionally, you can speak to a customer service representative on the phone or via email. You can also reach out via live chat.
Phone Support
1-800-591-3869
For relay service, dial 711
Bottom Line
All in all, Target has created an excellent online shopping experience. This includes a smooth and easy-to-use app and online experience, flexible delivery options, and a great selection of grocery items to choose from. I love that Target has cart customization options and that you can be in contact with your personal shopper for whatever reason. Target’s partnership with Shipt allows for super-fast same-day delivery, and you can also get pickup or drive-up within 2 hours.
