Target opens products to social influencer platform
Target Corp. is joining a social commerce marketplace that will potentially provide a new sales channel for its products.
In an email to Chain Store Age, a spokesperson for Linktree, a platform enabling creators and influencers to create seamlessly shoppable landing pages for their recommended products, said Target is now partnering with it.
Linktree, which already partners with more than 35 brands including Nike, Fanatics and Savage x Fenty, now also enables influencers on its platform to recommend Target products in categories including fashion, beauty and home goods and earn commissions on sales.
"This new partnership with Target enhances Linktree’s seamless shopping experience, giving followers quick access to their favorite products while supporting the influencers they love," the Linktree spokesperson said in the email.
Creators participating in the Linktree Shops affiliate sales program include fashion influencer Kelsey Kotzur and model and actress Soo Youn Lee.
Target turns to influencers
Target is not a stranger to partnering with influencers to increase sales and reach more consumers. The retailer offers its own affiliate program with opportunities for commissions up to 8% and tracking links for influencers to drive their audience to their Target product recommendations.
In addition, Target has offered holiday digital influencer storefronts on a dedicated section of its e-commerce site and has issued limited-edition collections in categories across apparel, swim and accessories items, home and office, food and kitchenware, entertaining and more with two-time Emmy-nominated actress, two-time New York Times best-selling author and social media personality Tabitha Brown.
More recently, Target teamed up with one of the biggest celebrity influencers in the world, Taylor Swift, for a Black Friday weekend promotion. The discounter will offer two exclusive Taylor Swift releases available starting Black Friday (Nov. 29), while supplies last.
The official "Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour Book" provides a behind-the-scenes look at the making and performance of the “Taylor Swift The Eras Tour” including never-before-seen photos and personal reflections written by Swift.
[READ MORE: Target partners with Taylor Swift for exclusive holiday merchandise]
"The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology" album on vinyl and CD has 35 tracks including four acoustic bonus songs. The items will be available exclusively at Target in stores only on Black Friday, before becoming available on the Target app and on Target.com starting Saturday, Nov. 30.
According to a recent survey from influencer marketing platform Mavely, influencers are playing an increasingly important role in shoppers' holiday purchasing decisions — especially among certain groups.
The survey reveals that more than half (52%) and more than a third (36%) of Gen Z and millennial consumers, respectively, have purchased a gift based on influencer recommendations, compared to 28% of all consumers.
