Target rolls out upgrade to its ‘most used’ store item

Little things can ruin a shopping experience.

More than 1,100 American consumers shared their biggest retail pain points when asked by YouGov.

• About 44% express frustration with empty shelves and a lack of stock.
• 35% find waiting in line a bothersome part of the purchase process.
• Another 31% express irritation with stores failing to stock items seen online.
• 30% have been frustrated by messy merchandising.
• Having to use self-checkout mechanisms has been an annoyance for 30% of US consumers.
• Beyond inventory issues, 30% of customers have also noted a lack of knowledge among staff, while 17% are annoyed about being passed from one person to another to address a question.

Across retail surveys, the same issues consistently emerge: inventory gaps, checkout friction, and in-store execution problems remain the biggest drivers of customer dissatisfaction. These pressures are now shaping how major retailers rethink the shopping experience.

Shopping carts are rarely mentioned in surveys, but frequent shoppers will recognize the frustration of a sticky wheel or poorly maintained cart.

Target has invested heavily in making sure that its shopping carts, which are all being replaced, enhance rather than harm the chain's shopping experience.

Target investing in a turnaround plan

New Target CEO Michael Fiddelke plans to spend billions to turn around the ailing retailer. That includes four strategic priorities, according to a press release.

• Lead with merchandising authority by setting trends with differentiated, culturally relevant assortments that win in style, design and value.
• Elevate the guest experience by investing in digital discovery and the in-store experience while strengthening loyalty and engagement.
• Accelerate technology to help teams move faster and create more personalized, joyful experiences for guests.
• Strengthen team and communities by investing in training and career growth for teams and building on Target's longstanding commitment to communities.

"This work is underway, and by putting style, design and value at the center of every decision, we're making big changes to lead with a trend-forward assortment, elevate the guest experience, accelerate with technology and equip our teams to deliver the most delightful experience in retail, for today and over the long term," the CEO shared.

One change will be the retailer replacing all its shopping carts.

Target replacing all its shopping carts

One of the most visible changes in that strategy is a renewed focus on physical store experience, including upgrades to everyday shopping tools like carts and checkout flow.

Consumers rarely think about a retailer's shopping cart, unless something goes wrong with it.

That's something Target wants to change.

“The cart for us is the first touchpoint that the guest meets right when they walk in the store,” Target Vice President of Store Design Sarah Deuth told Fast Company. “It’s the most used item in our store, and then also it’s that item that carries you throughout the store.”

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That has led to the chain's decision to upgrade its shopping carts.

"For the next few years, Target will be replacing its fleet of half a million shopping carts with an even beefier model that promises to hold more stuff while making it easier to maneuver around the store. It’s the first all-plastic design Target will launch nationwide, while paradoxically being more sustainable than Target carts of yore," Fast Company reported.

The new carts have improved drink holders that can accommodate a Starbucks drink or Stanley cup, as well as a revised child seat that makes it harder for the kid to climb out unexpectedly.

Target's top goal, however, was how the cart rides.

“We are doing a million things while we’re shopping, so maneuverability and what they called ‘ease,’ ‘smooth ride,’ and ‘a cart going straight’ was more important than anything,” Deuth added.

Target's CEO faces major challenges

In recent years, Target has alienated some of its core customers by dropping its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs and taking its Pride Month collection off its shelves. The chain has also faced backlash from right-leaning customers over these same issues.

GlobalData Managing Director Neil Saunders thinks the chain may not have as much work to do as it appears.

"With a lot of turnarounds, there is a tendency to expect grand plans with fundamentally different trajectories and bold pivots. Target is not delivering this kind of change. What Target is doing is corrective — it's looking at where it has fallen short and is remedying the issues, he wrote on RetailWire.

Paula Rosenblum, managing partner at Retail Systems Research, thinks Fiddelke has at least said the right things.

"Well, he has talked the talk. Let’s see if he can walk the walk. Not the best time for a turnaround tbh, regardless," she posted on RetailWire.

Pamela Kaplan, a retail consultant, thinks Target's strategy is "directionally right," but not addressing the key challenge.

"Focusing on merchandising and assortment, customer experience, innovation, and people are the core levers that drive real change in retail. The challenge will be execution. Rolling these changes out consistently across such a large store footprint, while ensuring teams are trained, staffed, and supported, is where many turnaround efforts go wrong," she shared.

TheStreet retail advisor and RTMNexus CEO Dominik Miserandino thinks the upgraded carts will actually make a big difference.

"It's all a game of vibe. And you see this all the time," he shared.

"It's like the broken windows theory. If you have a neighborhood with broken windows, then people will not take care of the neighborhood. If, on the other hand, you fix the shopping carts, you're more likely to have people feel that impact," he wrote.

It may seem like a small change, but improvements to everyday pain points are part of Target’s broader effort to rebuild customer trust over time.

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