Target launches new paid membership program in a bid to drive sales at a time of cautious spending

@ap.news A Target store is shown in Philadelphia on Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2021. Target says having its stores closed on Thanksgiving will be the new normal, permanently ending a tradition that it embraced for years. The move, announced Monday, Nov. 22, 2021, comes as the Minneapolis-based discounter and other retailers including Walmart and Macy’s will be closed for the second Thanksgiving in a row. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

NEW YORK (AP) — Target, looking for ways to reverse a sales malaise, is getting into Amazon territory: the paid membership game.

The Minneapolis discounter said Tuesday the new paid program, called Target Circle 360, will offer unlimited free same-day delivery in as little as an hour for orders over $35 and free two-day shipping. It will launch with a special offer for new members for $49 per year from April 7 through May 18. After that ends, it will cost $99 per year. But Target Circle credit card holders can sign up for the lower price anytime.

The current Target Circle program has more than 100 million members who shop and spend more than five times more than non-members, the company said.