Target

Target x Shopify: Expanding Your Shopping Horizons

Best Friends!

In June 2024, Target+ and Shopify announced a partnership. This was great news for Shopify sellers looking to expand to other channels.

Getting accepted to sell on Target Plus has been very difficult, but it becomes easier and easier each year. This coming year, it will be easier, especially if you are already selling on Shopify.

In August, we started seeing Target Plus notifications on Shopify's dashboard. This was only for accounts with plus plans enterprise-level; we did not see it for basic or advanced plans.

Here is a quote from the press release from Target+.

The new partnership with Shopify will expand Target Plus through a hand-selected assortment of new and on-trend products and brands like True Classic, Caden Lane and more, giving consumers even more options to explore at affordable prices and with exceptional quality. Target also will be the first mass retailer to work with Shopify to bring select merchants' products into its physical stores in the months to come, offering shoppers even more new brands to discover.

However, if you've been selling on Shopify and have a soundtrack record, your chances of getting approved are much higher today than they were last year.

The first step is to apply to Target Plus and ensure that all your information is accurate and transparent. Here is a list that I copied from the application setup.

Before you apply, please ensure your business can meet the following requirements:

1. The business is registered in the US and can provide:

US Business Address
W9
Employer Identification Number (EIN). Social security number not accepted
Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS)

2. Can meet Target Plus shipping requirements:

Can ship with approved carriers (UPS, USPS or FedEx)
Can fulfill all orders from the United States
Can fulfill within a 24-hour building lead time and 5 or less business days in transit
Cannot use competitor fulfillment services

3. All products will have GS1-certified UPCs on the product itself:

GS1: Authentic barcodes powered by GS1 uniquely identify your brand & products in e-commerce
UPC: Universal Product Code is a barcode symbology that is used worldwide for tracking trade items in stores

4. Can meet onboarding requirements:

75% of agreed SKU count live within 75-days of Target Plus contract signing

5. Can provide size charts for all wearable items in grid (non-image) format

Can register any ESIM/Hazmat items with third-party compliance partner, UL-WERCSmart (WERCS):
ULWERCSmart is Target’s 3rd party compliance partner who manages all product environmental safety data (ESIM). For Target Plus, these items require registration to ensure proper handling of in store/CRC returns. This registration data is the first thing systematically validated on items and must be complete before any item data can be sent or reviewed by Target.

6. Can include in application submission an excel file of the total assortment details for all the SKUs you would like to bring on to Target Plus for the team to review with these column headers:

Apply to Target Plus and ensure that all your information is accurate and transparent.

A. Partner SKU
B. Barcode (EAN)
C. Brand
D. Product Title
E. Product Description
F. Partner Item Category
G. Primary Image URL
H. Ship Speed (Ground, 2 day, 1 day)
I. Retail Price
J. Partner Item Subcategory

Target's team will evaluate all submissions and reach out if your assortment aligns with our current priorities. Responses are not guaranteed.

Let's assume you get accepted and now you have to figure out how to get your products onto Target. There are two ways of doing this, and both ways will require a connector.

Shopify has a connector called Shopify Marketplace connect, see print screen 👇

Below I included a link to install the App.

Shopify Marketplace Connect - Sell on Amazon, Target Plus, Walmart, and eBay from Shopify | Shopify App Store

Official app to sync and manage Shopify product listings, orders, fulfillment, and inventory across top marketplaces like Amazon, Walmart, eBay, and Etsy.

Shopify App Store

At this moment, I would not recommend this connection, especially for managing over 35 SKUs. However, I do believe this app will get better and become a great option over time.

For Target+, I have worked with four different connectors, and the best one with the most support has been Acenda. If you work with any connector, the cost will be $500 & ☝️ per month; therefore, ensure you have enough SKUs to make it worth it.

Here is a link to Acenda 👀 👇

Acenda | The Marketplace Platform For Brands

Acenda Connects Your Products with Consumers Everywhere!