Target Corp.-owned Shipt has launched LadderUp, a new accelerator program developed to equip local retailers in five cities with tools they can use to succeed in an ever-evolving marketplace.
LadderUp applications are now open and will remain so through March 6, Shipt pointed out. Small businesses in five cities can apply to be part of the program: Atlanta, Birmingham, AL, Detroit, Houston and Washington, D.C. The program is open to grocery/beverage, health, beauty and floral/gifts retailers. If selected, small business owners will go through an extensive eight-week course learning from retail industry leaders about driving sustainable growth, building financial foundation, building efficiency, marketing, e-commerce 101, using Shipt, and the basic legal knowledge needed to run a business.
Additionally, Shipt will provide each participating retailer who completes the LadderUp program with $5,000 to help invest in their e-commerce, the company maintained. E-commerce platform operator Shopify is partnering with Shipt to teach a course in the program. It also will offer no-cost access to its platform.
In introducing the program, Kamau Witherspoon, CEO of Shipt, said, “Working with small businesses to build up their capabilities is a key part of our commitment to help create healthier, more resilient and equitable communities. We recognize the unique role that we can play in both combating hunger in under-resourced communities and boosting small, local retailers that are so vital to communities across our country.”
The LadderUp program rollout follows Shipt’s work to support the communities where the company operates and its customers, the company noted, as well as commitments announced at the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health to expand access to food in underserved communities, particularly for those facing mobility or transportation barriers. In 2022, Shipt awarded almost $250,000 in microgrants to organizations that focus on food insecurity, economic disparities and youth workforce development, the company asserted. Shipt works with national partners such as Feeding America, American Red Cross and United Way to help funding go even further in the communities that need it the most.
