Target Introduces Mobile Checkout for Holiday Shoppers

Target shoppers will be able to avoid long checkout lines this holiday season thanks to a new mobile checkout service. The retailer's store associates will be equipped with mobile devices that can complete shoppers’ checkout processes from anywhere in its stores. The new service, which Target is calling "Skip-the-Line," was launched this week at all company stores nationwide. Employees scan any item in a guest’s basket or shopping cart and accept payment by credit card on the spot from anywhere in-store. During peak events like Black Friday, team members will be located in the busiest areas of the store, such as electronics. Target said the checkout technology is the latest feature built by its technology team to make shopping easier for guests.

Total Retail's Take: Retailers are clearly gearing up for what's forecast to be a busy holiday season by doing everything they can to make the checkout process as seamless and fast as  possible. In fact, earlier this week Walmart announced it would roll out its own version of mobile checkout to stores nationwide by Black Friday. According to data released on Nov. 1 by Adobe Digital Insights consumers will spend $124.1 billion online this holiday season in the U.S., which accounts for nearly $1 of every $6 spent shopping overall during the November-December period. That’s a 14.8 percent year-over-year increase.