Target has weighed in on its holiday plans, which include free shipping and returns for all online orders placed this Sunday through Christmas.
Target provided the same holiday incentive last year, albeit through Dec. 20, and already offers year-round free shipping on orders of $25 or more.
The offer was bested by Best Buy, which launched a free-shipping holiday promotion of its own on Oct. 25, and extended it through Jan. 2. It also follows Walmart’s announced holiday sales blitz, which also begins this Sunday but does not include a free-shipping element beyond its current $50-purchase threshhold.
Also up Target’s sleeve is an expansion of its curbside pickup service, from 21 to 121 stores throughout the greater Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco and metro New York markets.
Further flexing its multichannel muscles, the chain will offer over 1,000 in-store discounts through its Cartwheel mobile app over the next two months, including more than 350 deals at 25 percent off or more.
Indeed, Target is dedicating a whopping 61 percent of its media spending to digital, up from 51 percent last year, chief marketing officer Jeff Jones told Ad Age.
Target is also extending its price match policy beyond its usual 14-day window to encompass the entire holiday season (Nov. 1-Dec. 24).
And for those living in or visiting New York City this season, the discounter will mount “Target Wonderland,” described as a 16,000-square-foot “retail spectacle” located in Manhattan’s trendy Meat Packing District. The “playful and kinetic environment” will include digitally-driven shopping, giving visitors a peek at the future of retail as envisioned by Target, the company said.
The event will be free and open to the public beginning Dec. 9.
