Target keeps making significant service updates and moves to regain shoppers’ trust. Its latest move concerns a key consumer demand: speed.
It’s been around two decades since retailers deeply felt the so-called “Amazon Effect,” or the disruptive effect of e-commerce on the global retail industry. During this time, delivery has moved from a nice-to-have luxury to a fundamental service for modern retail.
For many Americans these days, how fast a package arrives at their doorstep is almost as important as what’s inside it or how much it costs. Consumers are increasingly prioritizing convenience over price.
In fact, nearly 31% of consumers rank fast delivery as their top priority, surpassing price and product selection, according to 2026 data from Retail Insider. The same report revealed that 98% of merchants believe delivery impacts brand reputation, and more than half consider it one of the most critical factors.
Target is currently going through a major transformation under the leadership of new CEO Michael Fiddelke and is making aggressive moves to improve its brand reputation and win back customers. Its latest move directly responds to customer demands, as the retail giant moves to upgrade its next-day delivery service nationwide.
Target significantly expands next-day delivery across U.S.
Target recently confirmed it has significantly enhanced its shipping process to help customers get their online orders faster. The retail giant reported that this spring, 60% of the U.S. population will have access to quicker, easier shipping, as its next-day delivery of online orders reaches more markets.
“Guests in more than 50 top U.S. metro areas will be able to get their purchases delivered the next day — in many cases for free. It’s yet another option among Target’s fulfillment offerings, which also includes guest-favorite same-day services and two-day shipping,” Target said.
Back in September, Target announced next-day delivery expansion to 35 metro areas. Now they have surpassed that, reaching more than 50 top metro areas.
Target’s advanced next-day delivery key takeaways:
- Increased coverage (starting spring 2026): Target is expanding the service to reach 60% of the U.S. population. This increase brings the total to more than 50 top U.S. metro areas.
- Expanded selection: Now, 85% of all items sold in Target stores (hundreds of thousands of products) are eligible for next-day delivery.
- New delivery deadlines: Depending on the city, Target has set late cutoff times for orders. You can now place an order as late as 6 p.m. local time in many areas and still receive it the next day.
- Updated pricing tiers: While the service costs $5.99 for standard orders, it is now free for orders over $35. It is also free with no minimum purchase for Target Circle 360 members or those using a Target Circle Card.
- New markets (coming soon): While most listed cities are “available now,” the retailer notes that several markets — including New Orleans, Columbus, Tulsa, Memphis, Nashville, and El Paso — are marked as “coming soon” as part of this expansion.
Markets with next-day delivery already available:
- Alabama: Birmingham
- Arizona: Phoenix, Tucson
- California: Los Angeles, Fresno, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, Stockton
- Colorado: Denver
- District of Columbia: Washington
- Florida: Fort Myers, Jacksonville, Miami, Orlando, Tampa
- Georgia: Atlanta
- Hawaii: Honolulu
- Illinois: Chicago
- Indiana: Indianapolis
- Iowa: Des Moines
- Kentucky: Louisville
- Massachusetts: Amherst, Boston
- Michigan: Detroit
- Minnesota: Minneapolis
- Missouri: Kansas City, St. Louis
- Nebraska: Omaha
- Nevada: Las Vegas
- New York: Albany, Buffalo, New York City, Rochester, Syracuse
- North Carolina: Charlotte, Durham
- Ohio: Cincinnati, Cleveland
- Oklahoma: Oklahoma City
- Oregon: Portland
- Pennsylvania: Philadelphia, Pittsburgh
- South Carolina: Charleston
- Tennessee: Knoxville
- Texas: Austin, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio
- Utah: Salt Lake City
- Virginia: Richmond
- Washington: Seattle
- Wisconsin: Milwaukee
Related: Home Depot fixes a major customer pain point to win over shoppers
Markets with next-day delivery coming soon:
- Louisiana: New Orleans
- Ohio: Columbus
- Oklahoma: Tulsa
- Tennessee: Memphis, Nashville
- Texas: El Paso
Source: Target
Michael Vi/Shutterstock.com
What Target’s expanded next-day delivery means for the retailer and customers
To win back customer trust and reestablish its brand, Target is doubling down on a $5 billion “New Chapter” strategy led by a new CEO.
This transformation follows a rocky 2025, when social controversies and boycotts contributed to a 1.7% drop in net sales, according to its 8-K filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
Seeking to reverse this trend, the retail giant is refreshing stores and launching buzzy new collaborations, from influencer fashion lines to THC hemp drinks, while debuting a new initiative to enhance 13 local communities across the country.
This initiative focuses on improving local neighborhoods and community spaces to show that the retailer is committed to the people it serves outside of its stores. You can find more details in my previous coverage here.
While all these recent moves and upgrades show Target’s strong determination to regain its popularity as a unique and fun shopping destination, the next-day delivery upgrade is among its most important moves.
Industry data suggest that consumer demands have grown significantly over the years, and 61% of customers are unlikely to purchase from a brand or retailer again if their products were not delivered within the scheduled delivery window, according to a 2025 study by DispatchTrack.
Moreover, 2025 data by Red Stag Fulfillment suggests that 61% of consumers expect next-day shopping to be free.
Importantly, the psychological factor plays a crucial role in customer satisfaction when it comes to online shopping.
“Psychologically, fast delivery is very important to the consumer when ordering online. That is why everyone is trying to push out more into this space even though it’s very expensive to support and it often requires a lot of new infrastructure,” explained Neil Saunders, industry expert and managing director of GlobalData Retail, as reported by The Economic Times.
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