Target testing Starbucks curbside order pickup

Target may soon be handing out orders of Starbucks coffee as it is currently testing its curbside order pickup and returns. For the trial, shoppers at select Target outlets will be able to pick up their favorite Starbucks drinks without getting out of their vehicles.

Target said last week that it would add the Starbucks coffee pickup option to its Drive Up app list of services. The participating stores will offer curbside pickup options to customers in the fall.

As per CNBC, aside from the Starbucks order pickup, Target will also offer the returns service where shoppers can complete their return transactions via Target’s Drive Up app. And this is not all because the retailer is also testing another feature called the “backup item” for order pickups.

Target expanded this service that will allow customers to pick a secondary item in case their first choice is not available. However, this is not offered for orders beyond food and beverage.

The company explained that the curbside order pickup and other new features were created as more shoppers are choosing contact-less shopping. In fact, the contactless shopping option was said to have grown 60% in the last quarter.

At any rate, the Starbucks curbside order pickup at Target is not difficult at all because most of its branches have the coffee brand’s stores. After the testing, the retailer is looking forward to implementing this Starbucks pickup in its other locations across the United States.

“Our guests continue to tell us they love the ease and convenience of Drive Up, and they have been asking us to add even more of the Target experience to the service,” Target’s chief store officer, Mark Schindele, said in a press release. “Adding a Starbucks order and easy returns, while expanding our backup item options, will give guests even more of what they love about shopping at Target, quickly and easily. “Ongoing investments in our same-day services have built trust and relevance with our guests while meeting their needs no matter how they choose to shop.”

Finally, the latest improvements are part of Target’s strategy of maximizing the use of its almost 2,000 stores. The new services will help the company turn its locations into fulfillment hubs where customers can avail same-day and contactless services.

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