Target considering paid membership program to compete with Amazon, Walmart: report

Target is weighing a new paid membership program for its customers similar to Amazon and Walmart, Bloomberg News reported Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter.

The new program, internally titled as Project Trident, could launch as soon as this year, the report said, without giving details about the pricing of the membership program.

Target did not immediately respond to request for comment.

The retailer will be a late entrant into the market of paid membership and will have to compete with Amazon’s Prime, Walmart Plus and Kroger’s Boost programs.

An Amazon Prime membership costs $14.99 per month, or $139 per year in the US, while Walmart Plus offers plans for $12.95 per month, or a yearly plan for $98.

Paid memberships usually get customers access to free deliveries on their orders, while getting additional deals and discounts, driving more revenue for companies.

Target has been dealing with sluggish sales over the past year as Americans cut back spending on discretionary products that make a larger part of the retailer’s product assortments.

The company already offers a free loyalty program to its customers, called Target Circle, where shoppers can access more deals and discounts on their purchases.

Bloomberg said Project Trident could also incorporate Shipt, the grocery-delivery business it had bought in 2017.