Target Just Added a Surprising New Benefit to Its Drive Up Grocery Service

Craving a birthday cake pop? You’re in luck.

Some of us love to go into a store and shop in person for our groceries and home goods. Others of us have embraced ordering online to pick up curbside as a way to save time and maybe even save money. It can help curb impulse shopping, particularly at a store like Target where it’s tough to not peruse the aisles as you’re making your way back to the grocery department (there’s a reason it’s never up front!) to grab a few items.

It’s tough to go into a store such as Target and buy only what you intended to buy. There are just so many interesting things between the front doors and the checkout—including the Starbucks Café that many Target locations feature. If the ability to snag your Venti Pumpkin Spice Latte while you shop is the thing that keeps you from ordering curbside, Target is about to take that reason away from you.

No, it’s not removing the Starbucks Cafés in stores. It’s adding what it calls the Drive Up with Starbucks option to curbside, allowing customers to have their PSL's, and other items from the café, added to the rest of their curbside pickup order.

Target has already tested the concept in select stores, and it was a hit. Now, it will roll out the coffee-to-your-car service to more than 1,700 stores in the 25 states that have both a Starbucks Café and Drive Up service by early October. It says they are the first retailer to offer the service at this scale.

How Target’s Drive Up with Starbucks Works

Are you already thinking about what Starbucks goodies you’re going to add to your next Target curbside pick-up order so you are ready when the option is available? Target says that in the pilot stores, the top three items delivered curbside have been the Iced Brown Sugar Oatmilk Shaken Espresso, the birthday cake pop, and the Iced Caramel Macchiato. But you can order anything from the menu.

Here’s What You’ll Need to Do Once Your Location Greenlights the Drive Up with Starbucks Service

The Starbucks curbside option is not stand-alone. A Starbucks order can only be added to an existing Drive Up order. Once that order is placed at a participating Target store, you’ll receive a notification that it's ready. When you confirm that you’re on your way to grab your haul, you can go ahead and order your Starbucks.

Target will send a prompt to select from the full Starbucks menu available at the location. You’ll make your pick, click “Add for Drive Up,” and pay for the order. Your food and drink will be packaged for safe transport. When you arrive at Target and let the store know you’re ready for your order to be brought to your car, your Starbucks order will be brought out with it.

You can drive away with your hot or cold beverage of choice. Maybe hand a cake pop to the kid in the back seat (and keep one for yourself). And never have to get out of the car. This sounds much better than walking into the store or waiting in a long Starbucks store drive-thru line, doesn’t it?