Back in February, Target upped its shipping game by reducing the amount of money consumers had to spend to qualify for free shipping from $50 to $25. Now the big box retailer is taking its quest to attract more online shoppers a step farther, by testing a system that better pinpoints just when customers can expect deliveries to appear at their doorstep.
Starting this fall, Target will test what’s being called “available to promise,” a program aimed at narrowing down the timeframe in which customers should expect packages from the company, Fortune reports.
Currently, when a customer makes an order via Target.com, they receive notification that the purchase will arrive within a set date range, for example, seven to 11 business days.
Apparently Target thinks the four-day date range is a bit too much. So under its new program, customers will receive an email notification providing a more specific delivery window – generally a range of one or two days.
The purpose of the program is to not only make consumers aware of when their packages should be arriving, but to also drive up sales by taking the guess-work out of online ordering.
“We believe this capability will drive further increases in digital conversion rates, which are already improving rapidly, as guests respond to a faster and firmer delivery commitment,” Target CEO Brian Cornell said.
Cornell notes that Target has attempted to trim delivery times by using the merchandise from its physical stores to complete online orders. The company currently fulfills online purchases at 140 stores, but plans to increase that to 450 stores to meet fulfillment needs this upcoming holiday season.
“We want to give them the confidence when they order, they know it’s available to promise and we’re going to have it there for them when they need it,” he said.
Target’s latest e-commerce weapon? More precise delivery windows [Fortune]
by Ashlee Kieler via Consumerist
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