Target App Now Unlocks Drive-Up Doors via WiFi Tap, Cutting Average 32-Second Re-Entry Delay

Target rolled out a feature in its drive-up workers' handheld app that lets staff unlock store doors with a screen tap over the store's secure WiFi network. Business Insider reported the update eliminates an average 32-second delay each time workers re-enter after completing an order. The change addresses a problem created by recent store renovations that added dedicated drive-up doors.

Those doors remain locked for security, and workers previously used keys, fobs, or calls to colleagues to regain access. Roughly 20 percent of Target sales now occur through its website or app, with some stores handling hundreds of drive-up orders daily.

Ashley Daniels, who joined Target last year as head of product management for internal software, said her team identified the delay after visiting stores.

"We've all stood at home digging for our keys. Now imagine you know you've got a cart in front of you," Daniels said. " The feature was tested at one location last summer, expanded ahead of the holiday season, and is now live in almost every U.S.

Target store. Target estimates the update will save more than 350,000 labor hours per year. Some locations use the tap function more than 500 times daily. Daniels said the project followed direct observation of frontline operations rather than headquarters planning.

"You can't judge from a conference room what is going to be the most critical or the most impactful for the teams," she said.