Walmart Stole Its Identity… Now Target’s Trick-or-Treating as Jeff Bezos to Keep the Lights On

Me as soon as I saw the Target news:

If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then Target’s out here writing love letters to Amazon… and maybe sending them via next-day delivery.

In a very “if you can’t beat ‘em, become a slightly slower, less beloved version of ‘em” twist, Target has officially decided that the best way out of its current mess is to double down on delivery. Specifically, the company announced it’s expanding next-day parcel service to 35 of the top 60 U.S. metro areas by the end of next month. That’s a 22-city jump, increasing next-day coverage from just 20% to 54% of the population.

(Source: ABC News)

As we’ve all seen, Target has been in a bit of a retail identity crisis lately. After years of playing the “cooler-than-Walmart” card, it got Walmarted. That is, Walmart literally copied Target’s whole aesthetic (private labels, upgraded stores, curbside pickup) and executed it better. The only thing they didn’t copy was their logo and colorscheme. Since then, Target’s been losing market share and goodwill. Its stock is down 35% year to date, store traffic has slowed, and the once-iconic red bullseye has started to feel more like a warning sign than a brand signal.

Which brings us to today’s logistics decision. According to Gretchen McCarthy, Target’s Chief Supply Chain and Logistics Officer, the company is shifting from a traditional national shipping model to a more “market-based” approach. What that means, in English: Target is finally going to start using its 1,900+ stores and 11 sortation centers like the logistical assets they are… rather than just decorative backdrops for Joanna Gaines' seasonal throw pillows.

To be fair, this strategy kinda slaps. In Chicago, they piloted the model by consolidating shipping from 18 stores down to 6, speeding things up and cutting delivery costs. Apparently it worked, because now they’re copy-pasting that playbook into 30 to 40 more markets, with plans to roll it into 20 more cities in 2025. Now, I guess you could call this Target’s attempt to step into the ring with Amazon, the undisputed Final Boss of same-day everything. (Although, “going toe-to-toe with Amazon” is the business equivalent of a 40-year-old accountant challenging Jon Jones in the octagon.)

But let’s give them credit… Target’s not exactly starting from zero. They already offer same-day delivery to 80% of the U.S. via drive-up, in-store pickup, or Shipt… the gig-economy delivery app they bought in 2017, then shoved in the basement like Andy’s toys when Buzz Lightyear showed up. This time, it’s a full send on actual parcel delivery. You click. It shows up. You don’t put on pants. God bless America.

Of course, the timing’s the most important piece of the puzzle here. CEO Brian Cornell is stepping down in February, and incoming CEO Michael Fiddelke is gonna need a win. So Target’s decided to turn stores into mini-fulfillment centers… a strategy Amazon’s been doing for years, but hey, better late than never. If they pull it off, it could tighten margins and fix some of the post-COVID chaos that’s plagued their stores. I’ll admit, this all sounds great on paper: fewer warehouses, smarter stores, cheaper delivery, happier customers. Easy win, right?

Wrong. Because while Target’s just now figuring out how to ship socks from the local store… Amazon expanded its same-day network by 60% this year and now covers 140+ metro areas with speeds that feel, frankly, illegal. (I swear I once thought about ordering something for my lawn mower and it was on my porch before I clicked Buy Now.)

So, while Target’s finally getting in the logistics game, Bezos is out here sending skincare to space and probably plotting drone delivery to Mars.

Yeah, it’s a good move. Just… kinda late. But if Target can deliver on delivery (pun intended), there’s hope yet.

At the time of publishing this article, Stocks.News holds positions in Amazon as mentioned in the article.