Taking a page from Walmart and Amazon, Target will welcome third-party sellers to its website, offering shoppers a wider array of toys, sneakers and electronics.

Through the launch of the Target+ marketplace, shoppers can purchase a gaming table from Serenity Health & Home Decor, running shoes from Mizuno USA, or equipment from SVSports, among other items.

But the merchandise offered on Target.com will be a more winnowed, selective assortment than the third-party products sold online by Amazon and Walmart, Target says.

Unlike Amazon, where sellers simply register to gain a spot on the site, the ability to sell items on Target.com is by invite only.

That requirement may lend itself to more quality control, helping Target avoid the type of embarrassing episode that has occasionally plagued players like Walmart, which in November 2017 had to pull a T-shirt sold by a third party that suggested lynching journalists.

"Target+ provides guests with a curated selection of product choices that enhance our existing assortment," Rick Gomez, Target’s chief marketing officer and digital officer, said in a statement.

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Previously, some merchandise sold on Target.com was shipped by outside companies to customers, but the purchase was made with Target. Target+ items, however, will be both sold and shipped by the third party.

Items for the home and outdoors will also be part of the Target+ offering.

Target+ shoppers will be able to get the 5 percent discount that comes with using a Target Red card to make purchases on the broader site, as well as the same complimentary shipping. They can also return items to one of Target's physical stores.

Such perks are similar to those offered by Walmart, which from November made millions more products sold by third-party sellers eligible for free two-day shipping when shoppers spent $35 or more. Walmart.com shoppers are also able to return eligible items purchased from sellers other than the retailer to a Walmart store.

In the battle with Amazon, Walmart and Target have made a point of touting how their online experience is bolstered by their vast networks of stores where shoppers can pick up items ordered by tapping their smartphones. The stores also function as hubs that can hasten the delivery of items purchased online.