An overload of Cyber Monday shoppers crashed Target’s site Monday morning as the retailer deals with record online traffic. Target has set up a virtual line for customers, giving people access to the site gradually in order to control traffic, says Katie Boylan, a spokeswoman for Target.
Some customers are still getting an apology message from the retailer, asking them to try again shortly. The site was down intermittently starting around 10 a.m., according to Catchpoint Systems, which monitors web performance of retail sites.
“We are seeing an absolutely extraordinary response to our Cyber Monday offer,” Boylan said. Target is offering 15% site-wide, plus free shipping on every order. “The traffic, the demand, the orders are just absolutely through the roof.” Target says volume is already twice as high as its busiest day ever.
The retailer isn’t the first to experience site glitches during the busiest shopping period of the year. Neiman Marcus’ site went down on Black Friday, leading the department store to extend its Black Friday sale.
Fewer people are expected to shop online Monday compared with last year, according to figures from the National Retail Federation. Though online shopping was more popular than in-store shopping through the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.
