Target App Down: System Outage Disrupts Holiday Shopping Nationwide

Target’s digital platforms crashed during the critical final holiday shopping week. The nationwide outage began on the morning of December 19, 2025. It affected the retailer’s mobile app and website simultaneously.

Hundreds of thousands of customers were unable to complete purchases or access accounts. According to Business Insider, the failure severely disrupted Target’s ability to fulfill online orders just days before Christmas.

Scope and Timing of the Technical Failure

Reports on Downdetector spiked after 6 a.m. Eastern Time. User complaints detailed errors at checkout and cart abandonment. The problems persisted for several hours during peak morning shopping traffic.

Target acknowledged the issue on its official X account. The company advised frustrated shoppers to retry their transactions after a one-to-two hour waiting period. No specific cause for the cascading system failure was immediately provided.

The timing could not be worse for the retail giant. The final week before Christmas typically sees the highest sales volume of the year. This outage directly blocks revenue during its most important period.

Broader Impact on Retail Operations and Consumer Trust

The incident highlights ongoing challenges in Target’s digital infrastructure. It follows a pattern of technical difficulties the retailer has faced in recent years. These issues often surface during periods of high demand, straining customer loyalty.

Shoppers facing blocked transactions may simply turn to competitors like Walmart or Amazon. Last-minute holiday gift buyers cannot afford to wait for systems to reboot. This potential loss of immediate sales is compounded by longer-term reputational damage.

Target entered the 2025 holiday season following a difficult third quarter. The company had already cut its full-year profit forecast and reduced its corporate workforce. This operational setback adds another layer of complexity to its year-end performance.

The Target app down incident serves as a stark reminder of the fragility of digital retail. When systems fail at the peak moment of demand, the financial and reputational costs escalate quickly. For Target, restoring functionality is just the first step in recovering customer confidence.

Info at your fingertips

What caused the Target app outage?

The exact technical cause has not been officially disclosed by Target. Widespread simultaneous failures across the app and website often point to backend infrastructure or server issues. The company is likely conducting a full investigation.

When did the Target system go down?

User reports began flooding outage trackers just after 6 a.m. ET on Friday, December 19, 2025. The disruption continued through the morning, impacting the crucial pre-Christmas shopping rush.

Were Target stores also affected?

The primary impact was on digital platforms. In-store operations and point-of-sale systems appeared to function, though some store services relying on the app, like order pickup, may have experienced delays.

What should customers do if they can’t order?

Target’s official advice was to wait one to two hours and try again. For time-sensitive gifts, shoppers may need to visit a physical store or consider alternative retailers to ensure delivery before Christmas.

Has this happened to Target before?

Yes. Target has experienced several significant technical outages in recent years affecting checkout and online services. These incidents often occur during high-traffic events like holiday sales or product launches.