On Sunday morning Target Corp’s website was made inaccessible because of overwhelming demand for the highly-anticipated debut of its Lilly Pulitzer product line.
A product line is a series of products that a business creates under a single brand.
The retailer told customers on Twitter this morning that the “website is updating and will be shoppable soon”.
A couple of hours later, due to “overwhelming excitement” for its Pulitzer line, Target said it was adjusting its website.
Within the next hour the company said that it was “continuing to work through our website experience”.
We know you’re excited for #LillyforTarget. The website is updating & will be shoppable soon. Thanks for your patience & stay tuned.
— Target (@Target) April 19, 2015
The site was made inaccessible for 20 minutes because of the amount of the sheer amount of traffic.
Target later posted the following tweet letting consumers know that the site was working again, and apologized for the down-time.
We know you’re frustrated & we’re sorry. We appreciate your patience. You can now shop the #LillyforTarget collection http://t.co/7CxiiJQj9P
— Target (@Target) April 19, 2015
“When the traffic got heavier, we made the website inaccessible,” Target spokesman Joshua Thomas said.
“We realize there is an extreme amount of excitement around this collaboration, and we apologize for any disappointment this may have caused our guests,” Mr. Thompson, the spokesman, said.
Consumers flocked to the site and and by noon ET everything was “virtually sold out,” according to Thomas.
The number of visits was similar to Black Friday sales around Thanksgiving.
Many customers began lining up outside Target’s retail stores on Sunday morning. According to the WSJ, employees at Target in Watchung, N.J., said that the store was “completely sold out of Lilly Pulitzer gear within 30 minutes of opening”.
The Target and Lilly Pulitzer collaboration
The partnership between Target and Lilly Pulitzer was announced in January.
The retailer said at the time:
“Available exclusively at all Target stores in the U.S. and Canada and on Target.com beginning April 19, the 250-piece collection includes apparel, accessories and shoes for women and girls, as well as home accents, outdoor entertaining accessories, beach gear, travel essentials and more.”
Jane Schoenborn, vice president, creative communications, Lilly Pulitzer, said:
“Target is a design leader known for offering an unparalleled assortment of stylish, affordable products,”
“The Lilly Pulitzer for Target collection marks a new chapter for our brand, and we’re excited to give Lilly fans everywhere, including those who have loved the brand for years and those who will get to know it for the first time through this collaboration, a chance to experience this incredibly chic lifestyle collection.”