Target Installing BOPS for the Holidays

In anticipation of the looming holiday shopping season, Target Corp. (Minneapolis) is introducing a service it’s calling BOPS (Buy Online, Pick Up in Store).

Its intention is to have the service operating in all of its 1800 U.S. stores by late November.

“We continue to invest to further integrate the shopping experience across channels,” said ceo Gregg Steinhafel. “We will begin in the Minneapolis market before expanding the role to other markets. We expect to complete the role to all stores by the holiday season.”

The program, similar to ones introduced last year by Walmart Stores Inc. (Bentonville, Ark.) and Best Buy Co. Inc. (Richfield, Minn.), seems simple enough: Shoppers place orders on Target.com and pick up the merchandise at the closest store identified.

But some analysts have expressed doubts to the Minneapolis Star Tribune about whether Target can effectively offer even the basic BOPS service by the holidays. Later this year, Target also plans to have its employees test whether they can retrieve digital purchases in stores the same day they were bought. The company also is exploring whether shoppers can buy something at one store and pick it up at other locations.

And some analysts have suggested the service might hurt impulse sales at stores – especially important to a mass merchandiser like Target – if the customer visits a store just to pick up an order.