Target and Shopify Join Forces to Expand Small Business Reach

Shopify small business owners can now apply to have their products featured on Target’s virtual and potentially physical shelves.

Target announced on Monday that it is opening applications to its online marketplace, Target Plus, for U.S. Shopify sellers through the Marketplace Connect app. This collaboration allows Target to discover new, popular products among its customers.

In the coming months, Target plans to bring select Shopify items, popular online, to its physical store shelves, making it the first major retailer to transition Shopify products from e-commerce to brick-and-mortar stores. This move sets Target apart from Walmart, which has worked with Shopify since 2020 but has not made a similar transition.

The Shopify-Target partnership is poised to benefit both parties. Shopify brands can reach a broader audience within Target stores, gaining a “halo” effect and boosting their overall business, according to Target Chief Guest Experience Officer Cara Sylvester in an interview with CNBC. Sylvester also noted that Target Plus is one of the fastest-growing segments of Target’s business, featuring select items curated by Target’s team.

Target and Shopify Join Forces to Expand Small Business Reach
Target aims to make its online marketplace a worthy competitor to mainstays like Walmart and Amazon

Launched in 2019, Target Plus currently has 1,200 sellers. In contrast, Walmart has over 100,000 active sellers, and Amazon has added nearly 5 million sellers since 2018. Target’s Chief Digital and Product Officer Prat Vemana emphasized their commitment to growing Target Plus.