A Target system outage disrupted the retailer’s app and website during the final week of the holiday shopping rush, complicating online orders at one of the busiest moments of the retail calendar.
The disruption affected customers’ ability to place, track and in some cases view orders, according to company statements and customer reports Friday.
Target confirmed the issue after shoppers began reporting problems with digital transactions and order histories, raising concerns as Christmas approaches and time sensitive purchases intensify.
Target acknowledged intermittent problems with its digital platforms, including its mobile app and website, which are central to the company’s online and same day fulfillment operations.
“We’re aware of intermittent issues with our digital experience and a fix is underway,” a Target spokesperson said in a statement. The company said its physical stores remained open and fully operational, adding that it apologized for the disruption during a critical shopping period.
Downdetector, a website that tracks service disruptions, showed a steady increase in reports over several hours Friday. Target’s customer service account on X advised users to retry transactions after one to two hours while engineers worked to stabilize systems.
The Target system outage also appeared to affect the processing of some gift cards, according to customer complaints shared on social media.
Retail technology experts said outages during peak shopping periods can have outsized effects, even when stores remain open.
“Digital reliability is no longer optional during the holidays,” said Mark Ellison, a retail systems analyst based in Chicago. “When a Target system outage occurs this close to Christmas, customers have fewer alternatives and less patience, which can impact both sales and brand trust.”
Ellison noted that modern retailers rely on complex systems connecting inventory, payments and logistics. A disruption in one layer can ripple across the entire customer experience.
The outage comes amid record-setting online shopping volumes across the United States. Adobe Analytics reported that US online shoppers have spent more than $187 billion so far this holiday season, an increase of 6.1 percent compared with the same period last year.
Adobe estimates total e-commerce spending will surpass $253 billion by the end of December, underscoring the financial stakes for retailers during the final days before Christmas.
Similar disruptions have affected other major retailers in past holiday seasons, often leading to delayed shipments and increased customer service demand. Industry analysts said the timing of the Target system outage amplified its visibility.
For shoppers, the disruption translated into uncertainty. “I was charged for an order but couldn’t see it in my account,” said Laura Martinez, a Target customer in Phoenix. “With Christmas so close, that’s stressful.”
Store employees also faced challenges answering questions they could not immediately resolve.
“We had customers coming in asking about online orders we couldn’t access,” said Jason Reed, a Target team member in Ohio. “Most people understood, but everyone’s on a deadline right now.”
Target’s @AskTarget account acknowledged customer frustration, saying teams were working quickly to resolve the website issue and restore full visibility of orders.
Target did not provide a specific timeline for a full resolution but said work to stabilize systems was ongoing. Retail analysts said companies typically prioritize restoring checkout and order tracking functions first during widespread outages.
Looking ahead, experts expect retailers to increase investment in digital resilience as online shopping continues to grow. Redundancy systems, stress testing and real time monitoring are becoming more critical as outages draw immediate public attention.
“The lesson from a Target system outage like this is preparedness,” Ellison said. “Holiday traffic exposes every weak point in a retailer’s technology stack.”
The Target system outage arrived during one of the most demanding weeks of the retail year, interrupting online shopping and order management as millions of consumers race to complete holiday purchases.
While stores remained open and fixes were underway, the disruption highlighted the growing dependence on digital platforms in modern retail. As online spending continues to climb, system stability remains a central challenge for retailers navigating peak season demand.
