Target is looking to boost sales by adding Starbucks curbside pickup at its big-box stores, the company said Wednesday.
The Minnesota-based retailer rolled out the service in select cities this summer and the new perk is expected to be available at 1,700 outposts across the country that have Starbucks cafes as well as its Drive Up pickup by the fall.
Target, which faces stiff competition in the retail space from the likes of Walmart, Amazon, Costco and Dollar General, has nearly 2,000 locations across the United States.
Target and Starbucks signed a contract allowing the retail chain to license the Seattle-based coffee brand at its locations.
Starbucks baristas at Target locations are employed by the retailer, which has had a 20-year relationship with the coffee giant.
“Our guests have long told us Drive Up is a game-changer, adding convenience to their daily life, especially when they’re short on time,” said Mark Schindele, Target’s chief stores office.
“We’ve continued listening to our guests, who’ve told us overwhelmingly that Drive Up with Starbucks would bring even more ease and joy to every Target run.”
The Post has sought comment from Target and Starbucks.
Shares of Target were trading flat on Wednesday.
Last fall, Target began a pilot program at some 250 locations where shoppers who made their purchase ahead of time online could order a coffee or another item from the Starbucks menu while picking up groceries at the curb.
The service proved to be popular among customers, many of whom ordered cherished items such as the iced brown sugar oat milk shaken espresso, birthday cake pop, and iced caramel macchiato.
Drive Up proved to be a money-making hit for Target during the COVID pandemic.
The retailer reported that its annual revenue soared by around $31 billion between fiscal year that ended in January 2020 to fiscal year that ended in January of this year.
The company’s stock price, which soared to as high as $260 a share during the pandemic, has fallen some 50%.
The company was at the center of a fierce culture war firestorm earlier this year when many on social media were demanding a boycott of the chain over its LGBTQ-friendly merchandise that was put on sale during Pride Month.
The controversial items that roused the ire of many included “tuck-friendly” underwear aimed at gender-fluid consumers.
A conservative legal organization sued Target on Tuesday on behalf of an investor, saying the retailer misrepresented the adequacy of its risk monitoring when customer backlash over LGBTQ-themed merchandise caught it by surprise.
America First Legal filed the lawsuit in Florida federal court on behalf of investor Brian Craig against Target, chief executive Brian Cornell and the company’s board of directors.
America First is a nonprofit group headed by Stephen Miller, a former adviser to ex-President Donald Trump.
With Post wires
This story originally appeared on NYPost
