Target’s online summer sale knocks it out of the park

7/18/2018
Amazon wasn’t the only retailer to break records on Prime Day.

Target went head-to-head with Amazon by hosting its own one-day promotional event online on July 17. The summer sale drove the company’s highest single day of online traffic and sales for 2018, according to Target.

While the discounter did not provide hard numbers, Target reported that millions of customers shopped the sale, and millions of items were purchased. (The event did not require a membership to participate.)

The online-only event featured deals across most of Target’s categories, as well as its private-label brands. The most popular deals shopped during the one-day sale were small appliances, beauty and personal care, baby gear, home, and tech items.

Specifically, the hottest items were Dyson vacuums, the Instant Pot pressure cooker and electric air fryers. Harry's Razors, beauty boxes, baby gear, such as items from Graco, and technology, including the Google Chromecast, rounded out the list, according to the company.

In addition to deals, Target REDcard holders received a 5% discount and free 2-day shipping on most items. Non-REDcard holders qualified for free two-day shipping on orders of $35 or more.

The sale may be over, but now Target is picking, packing, and shipping all purchased merchandise. Nearly 90% of yesterday’s orders will be fulfilled by Target stores.

The event coincided with a week-long promotion that entitles teachers to receive 15% off select school supplies, as well as deals on back-to-school essentials.

Target’s summer sale overlapped with Amazon’s fourth annual Prime Day event. The 36-hour sale, which kicked off on July 16 at 3 p.m. EST, attracted customers across 17 countries who purchased more than 100 million products. Sales that surpassed Cyber Monday, Black Friday and the previous Prime Day, making this year’s Prime Day the biggest shopping event in Amazon history, according to the e-retailer.

Other retailers have also jumped on the bandwagon and created their own sales to counter Prime Day. For example, on July 16, eBay launched a week-long shopping event, one that doesn’t require a membership to participate. Meanwhile, 1-800-Flowers.com is running a five-day sale that kicked off on Tuesday, July 17 at midnight, and will continue through Sunday, July 22.

Office Depot offered $20 off regular-priced orders greater than $125, and $40 off regular-priced orders over $250, from July 7 to July 14. Macy’s is running a “Black Friday in July” sale on its website, and Zulily is launching its inaugural Thrill Week. The seven-day event, which will run from July 23 to July 27, will offer exclusive deals and discounts across the brands it features.
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