NEW YORK – Target is a victim of its own success.
The discounter drummed up so much hype around its exclusive, limited-time line by upscale Italian designer Missoni that its website crashed and was down most of the day on Sept. 13 when the collection was launched, angering customers. More than a week later, some shoppers who bought the Missoni for Target line are posting on social media websites Facebook and Twitter that they won’t shop at Target again because their online orders are being delayed – or worse, canceled – by the retailer.
Brielle deMartino, 23, from Del Ray Beach, Fla., was so excited that she woke up at 6 a.m. on the launch day and spent $700 on Missoni clothes, a bike and plates. The next day, she got an email from Target that her online order was canceled. Then, she spent hours on the phone with Target customer service representatives she describes as unapologetic.
“I have never been treated like this,” deMartino said. “Instead of taking responsibility, they didn’t care. I have always been pro-Target, but I don’t want to give my money to a company like that again.’
Talk about having a bull’s-eye on your back. Now, customers are blasting Target on websites like Twitter at a time when Americans worried about the economy are easily being influenced by what their friends say on social media websites.
“This was badly handled,” said Robert Passikoff, president of Brand Keys Inc., a New York customer research firm that has an index that shows Target’s image has taken a hit. “What was supposed to be engaging and delightful is now the opposite – disappointment.”
The Missoni collection was an attempt by Target to regain the cache it lost among the fashion-forward crowd after it began focusing on expanding its food business. Target is among a few retailers who have partnered with high-end designers that create exclusive lines they can offer for a limited time at deep discounts. The collections can spur demand by creating a sense of urgency to buy. Last year, Target scored big with a line created by Liberty of London, offering 300 items with the designer and selling out of most of it in a couple of days.
The retailer tried to recreate that success with Missoni line, which featured items at a fraction of the cost of the designer’s original works that can go for $595 to $1,500 and more.
By Sept. 13, the day of the launch, Target said demand for Missoni items rivaled the frenzy on the day after Thanksgiving, which is typically the busiest shopping day of the year.
Celebrities were even writing about the launch, or tweeting, on Twitter. Actress Busy Phillips, who plays Laura in ABC’s “Cougar Town,” tweeted: “Got the bike. Not the colorful one but still SO EXCITED.” Actresses Jessica Alba and Jessica Simpson also were gushing about the line: “I dreamt about the Missoni 4 Target bike last night,” Alba tweeted. Simpson replied, “I want that bike too!! So cute!”
The buzz turned to frustration for some shoppers. About two hours after the 6 a.m. launch, many on Target’s website came face-to-face with Target’s mascot bulldog and the disappointing news of the website crash.
Even some customers who got through complained that items disappeared from their online shopping carts. Some were unable to checkout. Those who were able to buy breathed a sigh of relief, with some hocking their buys on eBay.com for more than double Target’s prices.
But the celebration was short-lived for some. Twitter and Facebook are abuzz with customers complaining that they got emails from Target notifying them that their orders will be delayed or canceled altogether. The posts range from mild (“I’m waiting for orders and now get an email that some may not ship,” to prickly (“Every time I see someone with Missoni for Target I get a little more mad.”).
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