As Target’s (TGT) -) Back-to-School shopping takes shape with sales for all types of teachers and students, the retailer is offering savings to help families and individuals prepare for the new school year. Target’s Back-to-School sale starts on July 16 and will run until Aug. 26 online and in stores.
Target uses its subsidiary Shipt to take care of getting all those back-to-school orders delivered to customers’ doorsteps. Target bought Shipt in 2017 for $550 million in cash, Retail Dive reported.
This time of year usually brings mixed feelings with some excitement for the new school year to begin, but also feelings of anxiety about the new school year beginning. Target’s Shipt company has decided to add a little something extra to the start of the back-to-school shopping season that could help families make back-to-school shopping memories a little different this year.
Instead of crowded retail aisles, long check-out lines, following long lists of what kids need for the new school year, Shipt has created a new way to make perhaps a more positive memory about back-to-school shopping.
Target’s Shipt Delivers Something Different
Back-to-School shopping is already here and Target’s subsidiary Shipt has a different idea about how to get kids excited and ready for the new school year. Kids may have mixed feelings about returning to school as well as having to prepare by shopping to go back to school.
Whether kids love to shop and prepare for the new school year or if they are more timid and may have some anxiety about returning to school, they can enjoy a new experience delivered by Shipt. Shipt has partnered with Voldex, which creates user-generated content (UGC) also known as user-created content (UCC) in gaming platforms like Roblox (RBLX) -) and Minecraft.
Families can create a fun gaming experience in Roblox about the back-to-school shopping frenzy, like driving to retailers like Target or Walmart to go through the grueling task of back-to-school shopping. The game is a timed shopping experience about getting everything on the list and getting out, according to Shipt.
If this sounds like the days of past shopping for back-to-school that you want to relive from the comfort of your own home, then this is the game for you. You can use this gaming experience as a practice run for actually going into Target to complete the back-to-school shopping list.
“There is something so nostalgic about shopping for a new school year in stores,” said Alia Kemet, Shipt’s Chief Marketing Officer. “As a mom to four children, I’ve had my fair share of back-to-school shopping experiences and they’re often stressful and expensive - anything but nostalgic. Through this partnership, our hope is to bring the fun and connection back to a now busy shopping season.”
We are so proud of our first Roblox brand activation! Thanks to Shipt's amazing partnership and Driving Empire's dev team! https://t.co/zsMfXCkDnP pic.twitter.com/mgcCDVVthj
— Voldex Games (@VoldexGames) July 14, 2023
"We are incredibly excited to announce our first brand partnership. We are happy to join forces with Shipt. By integrating the Shipt app into our experience, Driving Empire, we are bringing a new level of realism and interactivity that will resonate with our community on the platform. This partnership aligns perfectly with our commitment to pushing boundaries and providing unforgettable immersive experiences," said Voldex’s Head of Marketing and Monetization, Harry Bienenstock.
Real Life Back-to-School Shopping Simulation
Voldex and Shipt have come together to recreate a life like experience of the back-to-school shopping craziness, that many people either refer to as a true nightmare or if they love the hustle of shopping, fond memory of joy sifting through colored folders and notebooks, looking for the coolest character items to stuff in backpacks.
Some parents might find it fun to run through a game as a trial run of how the shopping experience might go down once the kids all receive the back-to-school shopping lists from teachers. Others might also enjoy being able to actually buy everything in a timely fashion and create a sense of urgency through the game to get the kids in and out as quickly as possible.
There is no wrong way to do back-to-school shopping or how to prepare for it, whether you are a family who loves gaming, or just want to try and instill a sense of get in and get out when it comes to the back-to-school shopping this year, Shipt’s partnership with Voldex can help. The game is supposed to be available now until July 21.
Retailer Home Depot, also jumped on board to create a virtual presence on the gaming platform Roblox, in attempt to reach out to a new generation of builders/shoppers who prefer the comfort of their own homes over going anywhere else.
