Amazon’s Prime Day Helped Target Hit an Online Sales Record
Amazon isn’t the only retailer that hit a record on Prime Day — Target also clocked its best online sales day so far this year on Tuesday.
The Minneapolis-based chain hosted a one-day event to rival Jeff Bezos’ midsummer shopping bonanza, offering discounts on Google products, home goods, toys and a long list of other items, which customers apparently scooped up in droves. On Wednesday morning, Target said that the deals brought in “the highest single day of traffic and sales” so far in 2018, noting that Dyson vacuums, Instant Pot pressure cookers and Google Home smart devices were among the most popular buys.
The company also sweetened the deal by offering a free six-month membership for same-day delivery via Shipt to any customer who spent more than $100 on Target.com on July 17. It acquired the grocery delivery startup at the end of last year for $550 million and has been quick in putting it to work in competing with Walmart and Amazon by offering same-day delivery in almost all major markets.
Target also flexed its competitive muscles Wednesday with the announcement that 90 percent of the orders placed online on July 17 will be fulfilled from its stores, proving that it’s learning to leverage its 1,829 locations across the U.S. rather than investing more than it has to in warehouses and distribution centers.
Watch on FN
Amazon, of course, had a blockbuster day of sales, as well. Even with website glitches, the company sold more than 100 million products worldwide during the 36-hour shopping event, it said on Wednesday, making it “the biggest global shopping event in Amazon history.”
