With Target’s new service, a ‘quick trip’ really can happen for busy moms

There are a million reasons to go to Target: It’s relaxing. It’s fun. There’s a Starbucks in there. But for a lot of busy parents, the biggest reason not to go to Target is right there in the backseat.

Yes, a “quick trip” to the store is never quick with kids in tow, but Target is coming to the rescue: If you need to grab toilet paper on the way home but the baby has already fallen asleep in their carseat, the new service—aptly named Target Drive Up—is a serious lifesaver.

The service is currently available to shoppers in Minneapolis-St. Paul, but Target hopes to expand beyond the Twin Cities in the future. And we can’t wait to see it roll out at other locations so we don’t have to roll out of our cars.

With Drive Up, customers order via the Target app and hit the “I’m on My Way” button when they’re headed to the store. You pull in out front and a red-shirt clad team member runs your TP (or diapers, wipes, etc.) to your vehicle.

It’s a dream come true, basically.

“Stopping for diapers and toilet paper may not be glamorous, but it’s still on a lot of our to-do lists,” says Dawn Block, Target senior vice president of digital said in a media release.

Though the move may be a head-scratcher for those of us who know a large part of Target’s success is found on the shelves lined with things I didn’t know I needed until now. Doesn’t this kind of click-and-collect service undercut that?

Not based on Walmart’s example: According to The New York Times, Walmart started offering such a service two years ago and it’s now available at 1,000 of Walmart’s 4,699 American stores. Despite the fact that these customers aren’t actually setting foot in Walmart, the company is doing well. Its second-quarter results show online sales, including grocery, increased 60% this year over last.

With parents spending the equivalent of a part-time job shuttling kids around, drive-up culture is definitely a thing. And catering to it helps retailers compete against the trend of to-the-home delivery—although that isn’t showing signs of slowing either: The Amazon and Whole Foods merger is a game-changer in grocery delivery and Costco recently announced plans for same-day grocery delivery in most metropolitan areas.

Whatever’s driving it, we’re just glad Drive Up is happening and can’t wait until it spreads to more Targets. We’ll gladly trade the occasional joys of the dollar section for a little Drive Up convenience.