Target's curated third-party marketplace focuses on quality over quantity

Shawn Knight

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The big picture: Keeping junk sellers at bay will cut down on the sheer number of products on offer but ensure a cleaner, safer and more trustworthy marketplace. Ultimately, that'll lead to fewer headaches for Target and a better experience for shoppers.

Target is bringing the fight to e-commerce rivals Walmart and Amazon through a new initiative that complements the site’s current collection of goods with an assortment of curated products from third-party sellers. Whereas those companies strive for quantity, Target is going after quality.

The initiative, dubbed Target + (Target Plus), is in its very earliest stages. Target is starting by carefully selecting and inviting best-in-class specialty and national brands to participate across popular categories like electronics, toys, home and sporting goods.

Rick Gomez, Target’s chief marketing and digital officer, said customers will also receive five percent off when using their Target credit card in addition to receiving free shipping and hassle-free in-store returns.

Target probably isn’t going to beat Amazon and Walmart in terms of sheer volume. By going the curated route, Target will have greater control over its marketplace which will help to ensure a premium feel. Furthermore, it helps the retail giant avoid headaches related to lower-quality products that are often sourced from massive third-party outlets.

Lead image courtesy amirraizat via Shutterstock

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Pretty cool idea considering many shady products are being sold online and searching for quality products for non standard manufacturer items is risky at Amazon and others. Even something as simple as bottle for water is risky from Amazon as sellers often lie about BPA and grade of plastic.
 
Amazon is fine if you stick to the Amazon Prime labeled stuff but as soon as you stray away from that things get real shady real quick.
 
Amazon is fine if you stick to the Amazon Prime labeled stuff but as soon as you stray away from that things get real shady real quick.

Even that isn't safe. Amazon Prime just means its stored in an Amazon warehouse, not that its sold by Amazon. They'll send you whatever is physically closest to you, even if it was placed in the warehouse by a third party, even if it is a knock-off. Amazon has no quality control over the products included in Prime, and it is only a guarantee of free shipping and access to digital content produced by Amazon - everything else is fleeting at best, wishful thinking at worst.
 
Even that isn't safe. Amazon Prime just means its stored in an Amazon warehouse, not that its sold by Amazon. They'll send you whatever is physically closest to you, even if it was placed in the warehouse by a third party, even if it is a knock-off. Amazon has no quality control over the products included in Prime, and it is only a guarantee of free shipping and access to digital content produced by Amazon - everything else is fleeting at best, wishful thinking at worst.
I tend to stay away from third-party sellers unless I can help it, I only buy from Amazon itself.
 
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