Shopify is about to hit the Target Plus marketplace.
Target Corp. and the global e-commerce enabler are teaming to grow in a digital marketplace where even bigger players like Amazon and Walmart are duking it out.
Under the partnership, a hand-selected assortment of brands that use Shopify’s e-commerce services will be added to Target’s five-year-old marketplace. Target will also be bringing some Shopify brands to its brick-and-mortar stores in the months ahead.
Harley Finkelstein, president of Shopify, said: “It’s table stakes for merchants to be everywhere customers are, and as the world’s leading retail operating system, we make it easier and more accessible for brands to sell directly to their customers on the best channels. Partnering with Target helps high-growth brands like Caden Lane and True Classic reach millions of new loyal customers and take their business to the next level.”
U.S. Shopify merchants can use the service’s Marketplace Connect app to apply to sell on Target Plus, which prides itself on its e-commerce edit.
Cara Sylvester, executive vice president and chief guest experience officer at Target, said: “Target Plus invites consumers to explore a curated collection of products from vendors we trust, so they can shop our assortment with confidence. Our partnership with Shopify extends the breadth of thoughtfully designed and affordable items available to discover and enjoy as part of Target’s distinctive mix of brands shoppers love.”
Target Plus carries more than 2 million products and features more than 1,200 brands, including Ruggable, Crocs, Maui Jim and Timberland, chosen by Target’s in-house team.
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In a Q&A on Target’s website, Prat Vemana, the retailer’s chief digital and product officer, cited E-marketer research showing that retail marketplaces are expected to account for more than 30 percent of all e-commerce growth in the next three years.
“Digital marketplaces are industry game-changers because they enable retailers to give consumers a lot more choices without having to store those products,” Vemana said. “But it’s important to understand that most digital marketplaces were created to offer shoppers anything they might need, without many guardrails around quality or value. For some retailers, it’s about high demand and moving products.”