When Does Target Restock? (Everything You Need to Know)
When it comes to convenience, nothing beats shopping at Target. Whether you’re ordering curbside pickup, getting grocery delivery through Shipt, or stopping at Target to stock up on essentials, it’s important to know when your local store restocks to make sure you’re getting everything you need.
Typically, Target receives shipments and restocks few times a week on Monday or Tuesday, then again on Thursday or Friday. However, to supply the demand for essentials during the pandemic, Target has started receiving shipments every day except Sunday, and most locations restock overnight.
After the pandemic started, Target assured customers that “stores are safe, stocked, and ready to serve communities across America.” To protect their shoppers and employees, Target is offering more ways to shop—from same-day delivery and contactless in-store payment to free curbside pickup.
With all of these new services, choosing the best days and times to shop at Target can help ensure that you find everything you need.
Since restocking schedules vary depending on the Target location, this article will review the basic restock schedules for Target locations and Target’s website.
Best advice I have is to “rope drop” a store. Often Target restocks overnight. At my store they pull out pallets at the back of the store and have a worker handing them out directly to prevent a madhouse.
— Lesley (@lesleywake) March 23, 2020
What Time Does Target Restock?
Most Target locations restock overnight after stores are closed, typically between 12 am, and 6 am. Since the beginning of the pandemic, many Target locations have started receiving new shipments every day except Sunday to stay on top of the high demand for groceries and household essentials.
Target is also currently coordinating with distribution centers and suppliers to fast-track high-demand products through the supply chain.
Depending on how busy the store is, your local Target location can get anywhere between five new shipments a day to two shipments a week.
For the best results, shop when the store opens, as most locations restock overnight. And if you’re shopping for something specific, it’s best to call your local store to check their inventory.
After unloading the trailer and loading them into the store’s inventory system, team members sort items onto pallets according to the department they’re going to.
For bigger stores with an overnight staff, the majority of the restocking happens overnight, especially for high-demand items.
While you may see team members stocking clothing and home goods during the day, you’re more likely to find high-demand paper products, cleaning items, and other household essentials if you’re in line to shop when the doors open.
How Often Does Target Online Restock?
Target website restocks products on a rotating schedule depending on the manufacturer’s product availability, similar to its physical stores. If you purchased an item on Target’s website that is on back-order, it will be shipped when it restocked.
While there’s no definitive restocking schedule for Target online items, and it depends on the manufacturer’s availability, Target ships back-ordered products as soon as they’re in stock.
In other words, if you order items on back-order from the Target website, they’ll ship as soon as they’re available, and you will be notified.
Target continues to offer one of the best online shopping experiences in the industry and in-store order pickup, allowing customers to shop without worrying about long lines or crowded aisles.
How to Check Target Inventory
Target runs out of high-demand groceries and household essentials relatively quickly. Team members don’t always know when paper products, cleaning products, and other high-demand grocery products will be restocked.
You can check the Target website to see what items are currently in stock at local stores, but it’s important to remember that Target’s inventory is not always 100% accurate.
Brickseek’s online inventory tool can also help you check whether a nearby store has what you want in stock and what the price is before planning your next shopping trip.
As always, it’s recommended to call nearby stores to check the inventory before heading out, especially if you’re shopping for a specific item.
I’m telling you – target sign up for notifications when they restock. They restocked the light one overnight last night.
— Liz (@feelalive12) April 16, 2020
Can You Get Notified When Target Restocks?
Yes, Target offers the option to receive notifications when an item is available for shipping for its online inventory. To sign up for notifications when Target restocks its online inventory, click on the “notify me when it’s back” button on the app or the website.
If you choose to sign up to receive notifications from Target, you’ll be prompted to sign in to your Target.com account.
If you sign up on the website, you’ll be notified via email when the item is restocked. Meanwhile, if you sign up using the app, you’ll receive a notification on your phone.
It’s important to keep in mind that receiving a notification does not reserve items or guarantee their availability. If you’re running low on groceries or household essentials, you may want to act quickly and purchase the item before it goes out of stock again.
Additionally, Target’s restock notification feature does not apply to in-store inventory, high-demand, and limited items, including toilet paper, hand sanitizer, and cleaning products.
Are you going right when the store opens? I know Target and larger chain grocery stores restock almost every night but it goes fast.
— Smithsphone™️ 🇺🇸 (@smithsphone) March 20, 2020
When Does Target Restock Groceries?
Target locations receive new shipments from distribution centers on a rotating basis. In most cases, trucks arrive with new shipments daily between 3 pm and 11 pm for perishable grocery products, including produce, dairy, meat, and frozen products.
Although stocking schedules vary depending on the location, Target typically restocks perishable grocery products overnight or during early morning hours.
While busier stores have an overnight staff that restocks groceries overnight, smaller stores usually restock during the early morning hours.
What Is the Best Day to Shop at Target?
Most Target stores receive shipments on Monday or Tuesday and again on Thursday and Friday. Therefore, you can assume these are the best days to shop at Target. However, each location’s restocking schedule may vary, and it’s best to contact your local store to find out about their restocking schedule.
As mentioned previously, Target has started receiving shipments every day except Sunday during the pandemic to keep up with the high demand for grocery items and household essentials.
But restocking relies on manufacturers and distribution centers, and items are not restocked in a specific order. This also means the stores don’t receive new shipments for high-demand items on set days.
As a result, if you’re searching for a specific product, your best bet is to call your local Target store and ask a team member to check the current inventory.
If you’re hesitant about visiting the store because you don’t want to wait in line outside or take your chances with many customers inside, you can use Google Maps to find out the least crowded times at your local Target store.
We covered this topic in a separate article, so if you’re interested in finding out how to use Google Maps to find out busy times at your local grocery store, check out that article.
If you’re planning to shop late at night, remember that many Target locations have changed their hours, with many stores offering senior hours and closing early to clean and restock for the next day.
Final Thoughts
To accommodate for high demand during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Target has announced changes to its stores, including updated store hours, contactless in-store payment options, and new grocery delivery services.
Target also recently launched Target Restock, free for all Target RedCard purchases and costs $2.99 for all other orders. With Target Restock, customers place online orders for household essentials as late as 7 pm and receive their orders the next day.
Target Restock is ideal for customers looking to avoid the hassle of figuring out the best times and days to visit the store.
For the foreseeable future, there’s no doubt that your shopping trip will be different from your average Target run. From stocking up on household essentials to buying groceries for the week, understanding Target’s restock schedule can help you choose the best day and time to plan your next shopping trip.
If you’re interested in finding out more grocery shopping tips, check out the related articles below.
Related Articles:
When Does Kroger Restock? (A Guide to Kroger Grocery Shopping)
When Does Costco Restock? (Everything You Need to Know)
