As it gears up for the busy winter holiday season, Target is growing its next-day delivery service across the United States. By the end of October, customers in 35 U.S. metro areas will be able to access next-day delivery on about 85% of the items sold in Target stores. [Read more: Target to open new larger stores this fall]The expansion, which is expected to reach 20 additional U.S. metro areas next year, is part of Target’s evolving stores-as-hubs delivery model. According to Gretchen McCarthy, EVP and chief supply chain and logistics officer, having stores serve as mini-fulfillment centers allows Target to choose the fulfillment method that works best at the local level. “Our 11 sortation centers continue to batch orders packed from stores for delivery through Shipt—what we call Target Last Mile Delivery (TLMD)—or by a third-party carrier, whichever costs less,” McCarthy said.