Target to test next-day delivery service in Minneapolis

Reuters
The sign outside the Target store is seen in Arvada, Colorado January 10, 2014. REUTERS/Rick Wilking

(Reuters) - Target Corp <TGT.N> plans to test a next-day home delivery service called Target Restock in the Minneapolis area, the company said in a blog post on Monday.

The company said household essentials ordered online, like laundry detergent and coffee, will be packaged at a nearby store, allowing for delivery the next day. (http://bit.ly/2qUA0J5)

Target and other major brick and mortar retailers are investing heavily in their e-commerce businesses as they try to gain ground on Amazon.com Inc <AMZN.O>, which revolutionized online retail through aggressive pricing and speedy delivery.

Minneapolis-based Target lagged behind competitors in e-commerce, but is now stepping up its emphasis on such sales. The company had signed a deal with online delivery service Instacart to pick up Target groceries and deliver them to customers in some cities.

The company intends to compete with rivals Wal-Mart Stores Inc <WMT.N> and Amazon for same-day delivery.

(Reporting by Akankshita Mukhopadhyay in Bengaluru; Editing by Mary Milliken)