Dive Brief:

• As of Monday, nearly everything available on Target.com counts toward the retailer’s online minimum $50 order to receive free shipping. Target REDcard customers get free shipping with no minimum.

• Previously, many items, even small ones, weren’t eligible for free shipping, which resulted in confusion and irritation that led many shoppers to abandon their online shopping carts, the company said.

• Oversized or heavy items are now the few items that won’t count toward the free shipping minimum, the company said.

Dive Insight:

As part of its ongoing efforts to boost its e-commerce, Target has addressed one of the major complaints about its free shipping policy (and one of its major obstacles to e-commerce success). Too many items were exempt, without apparent rhyme or reason, leaving online shoppers frustrated enough to forget the whole deal. The new policy also moves the retailer closer to giving more consumers what they say they want when it comes to fulfilling their online orders: free shipping and easy returns.