By Editor,Emma Saletta

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Ailing Target plots fightback against Walmart and Amazon

READ MORE: Target employees drops major pricing bombshell

By EMMA SALETTA, US AUDIENCE REPORTER

Published: 06:57 BST, 18 September 2025 | Updated: 07:13 BST, 18 September 2025

Target is expanding its next-day deliveries to 35 of the top 60 US metro markets to fight back against Walmart and Amazon.

The expansion will mean the retailer’s next-day delivery option will be available to 54 percent of the US population — up from a fifth.

Cities added onto the service include San Diego, California, and Orlando and Tampa, Florida. Target is set to add another 20 cities by next year.

The company currently offers same-day delivery to more than 80 percent of the nation’s population — giving those shoppers the option to order online, and pick them up inside stores or at curbside.

‘I think about us moving from this national fulfillment model to this market-based approach,’ Gretchen McCarthy, Target’s chief supply chain officer, told the Associated Press, explaining that keeping products in more local depots increase speed.

The news comes a year after Amazon expanded its same-day delivery service by over 60 percent — serving more than 140 metro areas for Prime members. It’s also in the process of initiating same-day and next-day delivery services in 4000+ rural areas.

Meanwhile, Walmart delivered 7.1 billion same-day and next-day delivery orders over the past year. The chain announced plans to expand that service across major US cities — and launched same-day drop-offs for 12 million households.

Walmart — which lost its biggest retailer crown to Amazon in February — revealed its same-day and next-day delivery services reaches 95% of the US.

Target is expanding its next-day deliveries to 35 of the top 60 US metro markets

Gretchen McCarthy believes more precise storage usage and focusing on fulfillment centers will speed up services without hurting profits

With the expansion, Target will continue to operate 11 short-period warehouses for outgoing shipments.

The sortation centers typically groups together customer orders through its Shipt service, a delivery subscription option where drivers pick up store purchases and deliver them to shoppers’ homes.

Outside Shipt, the orders are picked up by third-party carriers like FedEx and UPS. The company is working to expand partnerships with national carriers and Shipt to speed up deliveries.

The revamp is launching at a critical time for Target due to falling quarterly sales — partially due operation issues, leaving customers and employees disappointed.

Things intensified after CEO, Brian Cornell, announced he’d be stepping down from his position. Although his decision shocked Wall Street, retail analysts anticipated the decision.

Michael Fiddelke, Target’s chief operating officer, will be taking over the role on February 1.

‘Michael’s tenure gives him unmatched enterprise insight and a base of strong team trust,’ said Christine Leahy, lead independent director of Target’s Board of Directors.

‘But what sets him apart is how he combines those strengths with a “fresh eyes” mindset, challenging the status quo to evolve how the business operates, differentiates and delivers long-term value.’

Amazon is expanding its same-day and next-day delivery services in 4000+ rural areas

Walmart delivered 7.1 billion same-day and next-day delivery orders over the past year

Target’s own staff blow whistle on HUGE price hikes across the store: ‘Everything’s going up’

Target’s transformation push began in 2017, and by 2029 the company offered same-day delivery of over 65,000 items.

The service’s popularity grew during the pandemic as Americans were forced to do more online shopping.

The company began testing an Amazon-style shipping model this year, delivering products directly to customers’ homes from factories.

The plan is similar to services from Chinese e-commerce platforms like Shein and Temu.

Daily Mail has reached out to Target for comment regarding the strategy and delivery locations and is awaiting response.

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Ailing Target plots fightback against Walmart and Amazon

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