How low can you go? Target lowers free shipping minimum

MINNEAPOLIS — Target announced on Monday that it has slashed its free shipping minimum in half.



All online orders of $25 or more now qualify for free shipping, with virtually no exclusions. Previously, the minimum was $50.



“Lowering the free shipping threshold from $50 to $25 is one more way Target is putting guests first, and making it easier for them to shop Target when and where they want,” stated Jason Goldberger, president of Target.com and mobile. “We saw an enthusiastic response to our free shipping offer over the holidays. Now, whether guests are stocking up or doing fill-in shopping, we’ve enhanced our year-round shipping offer to be one of the best in all of retail.”



Target’s new $25 minimum is just one of its free fulfillment options, including always-free in-store pickup for eligible products — with more than 80% of orders ready in one hour — and free shipping on virtually all online purchases when using a Target REDcard.



The announcement comes on the heels of Target’s strong digital performance during the 2014 holiday season. Target.com set new sales records on Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday, while mobile accounted for 60% of Target.com traffic. Cartwheel, Target’s digital coupon app, also added 2 million new users. Cartwheel has surpassed $1 billion in promotional sales since it launched in 2013.



To support Target’s online sales growth, Target began shipping a portion of Target.com orders from select stores late last year. According to the company, early results have been positive, with shorter shipping times for guests and improved inventory management for Target. In addition, this year Target plans to open two new online fulfillment centers to further enhance Target.com shipping for guests.