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Shipt aims to add 100,000 personal shoppers

With expansion, Target subsidiary will boost delivery worker ranks by a third

Russell Redman

October 8, 2020

3 Min Read
Shipt personal shopper in store.jpg
With the new hires, Shipt will have more than 300,000 personal shoppers overall.Shipt

Gearing up for the holiday season crunch, on-demand delivery service Shipt plans to hire another 100,000 personal shoppers, increasing its delivery personnel base to more than 300,000.

The Target Corp. subsidiary said yesterday it’s targeting Detroit and Grand Rapids, Mich.; Minneapolis-St. Paul, New York City, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Houston and Chicago among the markets for personal shopper hires. Shipt shoppers pick, pack and deliver online orders, which can include food and beverages, daily essentials and nonfood items, depending on the retailer.

“We’re embarking on a holiday season like none before and taking proactive steps to ensure we can help American families get everything on their holiday list — groceries, essentials, gifts, home decor and apparel — in a safe, affordable, convenient way,” Shipt CEO Kelly Caruso said in a statement. “We know that one of Shipt’s true differentiators is that we have shoppers who not only know how to shop really well, but also care about their work and their customers. And we know that  families across America need a little bit of holiday help this season. We look forward to welcoming thousands of new shoppers to the Shipt platform this holiday season.”

An independently operated unit of Target, Birmingham, Ala.-based Shipt this year has spurred growth by extending the reach of its service and partnering with retailers outside grocery. The company said that, over the past six months, it has doubled its personal shopper count and grown its membership and customer base.

Related:Shipt offers free flu shots at CVS for its team of Shoppers

Perhaps most important, in August, Shipt unveiled a pay-per-order option that allows consumers to use the service without having to commit to an annual membership — enabling the company to better compete with rivals Instacart and Amazon. Customers now can buy Shipt passes for a fee of $10 for one online delivery order, $9 for three orders or $8 for five orders. An annual membership costs $99 per year for unlimited free deliveries on orders of $35 or more.

Shipt noted that the personal shopper expansion reflects not just an expected spike in holiday orders but also its growth into new markets and retailers. Currently, Shipt partners with almost 120 retailers across the United States, with recent additions outside its core grocery space including Party City, Bed, Bath & Beyond and buybuy Baby, and Office Depot. In February, Shipt also unveiled a new look as part of a brand refresh.

Acquired by Target in December 2017 for $550 million, Shipt provides personal shopping and delivery services in more than 5,000 U.S. cities, accessible to 80% of the nation’s households. Its retail partners span the grocery, alcohol, kitchen goods and household staples, pet care, health and wellness, and business products segments.

Related:Instacart, Shipt team up with Bed Bath & Beyond for same-day delivery

Shipt added that, as the coronavirus crisis continues, it’s also investing in personal shopper safety and support. Efforts include ongoing access to free personal protective equipment — such as face masks, gloves and hand sanitizer — as well as COVID-19 financial relief and support for shoppers who are temporarily unable to work, due to being diagnosed with COVID-19, having a member of their household diagnosed, or being subject to a mandatory quarantine order.

“Whether customers are motivated by safety, convenience or the desire for a more personalized experience, the common thread is that they all want some extra help,” Caruso stated. “To do so, we will invest in our growing shopper community and retail partners to ensure that we, as always, over-deliver on delivery.”

About the Author

Russell Redman

Senior Editor
Supermarket News

Russell Redman has served as senior editor at Supermarket News since April 2018, his second tour with the publication. In his current role, he handles daily news coverage for the SN website and contributes news and features for the print magazine, as well as participates in special projects, podcasts and webinars and attends industry events. Russ joined SN from Racher Press Inc.’s Chain Drug Review and Mass Market Retailers magazines, where he served as desk/online editor for more than nine years, covering the food/drug/mass retail sector. 

Russell Redman’s more than 30 years of experience in journalism span a range of editorial manager, editor, reporter/writer and digital roles at a variety of publications and websites covering a breadth of industries, including retailing, pharmacy/health care, IT, digital home, financial technology, financial services, real estate/commercial property, pro audio/video and film. He started his career in 1989 as a local news reporter and editor, covering community news and politics in Long Island, N.Y. His background also includes an earlier stint at Supermarket News as center store editor and then financial editor in the mid-1990s. Russ holds a B.A. in journalism (minor in political science) from Hofstra University, where he also earned a certificate in digital/social media marketing in November 2016.

Russell Redman’s experience:

Supermarket News - Informa
Senior Editor 
April 2018 - present

Chain Drug Review/Mass Market Retailers - Racher Press
Desk/Online Editor 
Sept. 2008 - March 2018

CRN magazine - CMP Media
Managing Editor
May 2000 - June 2007

Bank Systems & Technology - Miller Freeman
Executive Editor/Managing Editor
Dec. 1996 - May 2000

Supermarket News - Fairchild Publications
Financial Editor/Associate Editor
April 1995 - Dec. 1996 

Shopping Centers Today Magazine - ICSC 
Desk Editor/Assistant Editor
Dec. 1992 - April 1995

Testa Communications
Assistant Editor/Contributing Editor (Music & Sound Retailer, Post, Producer, Sound & Communications and DJ Times magazines)
Jan. 1991 - Dec. 1992 

American Banker/Bond Buyer
Copy Editor
Oct. 1990 - Jan. 1991 

This Week newspaper - Chanry Communications
Reporter/Editor
May 1989 - July 1990

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