Q: We want to start by congratulating you on your new role as COO – how are you approaching the work?

Having spent four years leading the finance team, I gained a deep understanding of how every piece of our business works. Now, stepping into the COO role, I get to apply that knowledge directly to our operations. My priority is ensuring that everything "behind the scenes" is perfectly aligned to support and improve the experience for both our customers and the shoppers and drivers who work on our platform. I’ve transitioned from managing the enterprise P&L (Profit & Loss Statement) to leading day-to-day operations, which means I’m closer to the front lines and the people who execute—and that’s been the most exciting part of the new role.

Q: The holiday shopping season is always a big moment for Shipt.  What is new this year from the operational standpoint?

Our team has been focused on scaling capabilities to meet expanded holiday demand, and there are two things that I’m particularly excited about this year:

• Seamless Gifting: Shoppers with Shipt have always been recognized for delivering joy, often going the extra mile to deliver gifts. This year, we're making that process seamless and easier with our new Gift Delivery Feature. Customers can simply select "this is a gift" at checkout to add a personalized digital greeting card to any order. This directly notifies the Shipt shopper that the delivery is a gift, and to help make the delivery a moment of connection for loved ones. 

• Scaling Flexible Earning Options with TLMD Direct: We've rapidly scaled TLMD (Target Last Mile Delivery) Direct, our program built on Target’s stores-as-hubs concept. This enables drivers on the Shipt platform to pick up brown box packages directly from their local Target store for delivery to guests, expanding the flexible earning options available to platform workers. This innovation unlocks reliable Next-Day Delivery for millions of Target guests in new markets in time for the holiday season. 

Q: What are you hearing from shoppers and drivers as you take on this new role and get Shipt ready to meet holiday demand?

The holiday season is where the flexibility of the Shipt platform truly shines. Work with Shipt is largely supplemental—over 85% of shoppers choose to work less than 10 hours a week. While some shoppers and drivers work year-round, others may choose to work with Shipt just during the holiday season for extra money, or are teachers who earn during school breaks such as the extended winter holiday period. The natural increase in order volume around the holidays translates into more opportunities for earnings. 

I'm consistently hearing from shoppers about how much they value their customers, especially those with Preferred Connections. I know the immense effort that goes into every order: the communication, the problem-solving, and the care they bring to every delivery. That dedication is part of what makes Shipt an award-winning customer service leader. To stay close to what the work is really like—from navigating batches to making that final drop-off on time—I do shops myself. This gives me real, firsthand appreciation for all of their hard work.

Feedback from shoppers and drivers, including what is working well and new ways we could evolve, is so important to me. Those conversations help guide where we focus next, and I’m looking forward to joining more of our Beyond Tours (where our team travels the country to meet with shoppers and drivers) in 2026.

Q: What do you expect to see in those final days of holiday shopping when the shipping deadlines for many traditional carriers have passed?

This is Shipt's peak moment. When traditional carriers close their shipping windows, Shipt becomes the essential last-mile, same-day hero. We expect a significant surge in urgent, high-care volume driven by everything from last-minute gifts to perishable goods for holiday meals.  

Our operational goal is to be the most reliable resource for customers right up to the final minute of the holiday season, a standard we've consistently met. Last year, we successfully delivered nearly all of our same-day orders during this critical crunch period, and we expect to meet that high bar again this year. Our core strength is our ability to maintain speed and agility as a company and on behalf of our retail partners that depend on us. 

An important part of our commitment to reliability is streamlining the shopping process. We recognize that out-of-stocks remain a pain point across the entire retail industry, which is why we've been proactively introducing new features to improve the experience. For instance, we're rolling out technology to help identify potential out-of-stock items in the critical time immediately before a worker begins shopping for a customer. This allows us to proactively encourage customers to select back-up options before the shopper gets to the store, helping minimize mid-order disruptions and ensuring a successful delivery experience for all. Customers get the items they need, and shoppers spend less time hunting for items that are out of stock.  

Q: What does this time of year here in Birmingham look like for the Falk household?

Like many families, the holidays are all about controlled chaos, tradition, and, honestly, a lot of last-minute coordination between sports, seasonal activities, and last-minute shopping. My wife and I definitely rely on Shipt for those inevitable missing ingredients or unexpected gift needs. 

We've made our home here in Birmingham, and it has become such a fantastic place to raise a family. My boys, who are now 10 and 8 years old, love to spend their time between basketball practices, tennis clinics, piano lessons, and backyard football games. Seeing them ride their scooters to their friends' houses and come home with a smile on their faces is what makes us proud advocates of Alabama. The holidays are a perfect time to enjoy the community we’ve found here.