For some retailers, and some of our members COVID-19 is changing their business but not ‘killing it’. AAPN member Target is one such member, as this article explains:
(AAPN member) Target’s April e-commerce has nearly quadrupled as crowd controls slam in-store sales
Fortune, PHIL WAHBA, April 23, 2020
Target's big investments in equipping stores to handle drive-up and in-store pickup of online orders continues to pay off in a big way during the coronavirus pandemic.
On Thursday, the discount retailer said digital sales so far in April have nearly quadrupled, rising 275%, taking some of the edge off a sharp decline in in-store sales caused by restrictions on the number of shoppers Target lets in now to enforce social distancing and protect store workers. In-store sales at stores open at least a year are down by a mid-teens percentage in April.
On some days, the volume of orders retrieved by customers driving up to assigned spots in a Target parking lot have been seven times that of a typical day, while in-store pickup has been twice as busy some days as Cyber Monday, traditionally the busiest day of the year in e-commerce.
"For years, we've worked towards using our stores as hubs, and today that is proving absolutely critical in managing record-breaking fulfillment volume," Target chief executive Brian Cornell told reporters on a briefing.
As detailed in the current issue of Fortune, Target has spent billions in integrating its stores and its e-commerce in recent years, and the company is now reaping the benefits of those investments.
The slowdown in in-store business is largely the result of Target metering the number of people in-stores, efforts also undertaken by everyone from Walmart to Home Depot to Whole Foods Market. In some jurisdictions, notably Vermont, essential retailers allowed to stay open for business, such as Target and Costco, have been barred from selling non-essential items such as clothing and toys. Read More