Target Website Down: Major Outage Disrupts Last-Minute Holiday Shopping Nationwide

A major system failure hit Target during the final holiday shopping rush. The Target website and mobile app experienced a widespread outage on Friday, December 19, 2025. Thousands of customers were unable to complete online orders or access gift cards less than a week before Christmas.

According to Downdetector, user reports began flooding in during the early morning hours. The timing of the outage is a significant blow to shoppers relying on last-minute digital purchases.

Scope of the Target Outage and Customer Impact

The technical issues were severe and widespread. Customers nationwide reported being unable to load the website. Many experienced app crashes during the checkout process.

Some shoppers faced a particularly stressful scenario. Their credit cards showed pending charges, but their order history was blank. This left them unsure if their gifts would arrive in time for the holiday.

Gift card processing was also affected. This added another layer of difficulty for people trying to use digital gifts. The outage tracker showed over 1,200 incident reports by mid-morning.

Target’s Response and the Path to Resolution

Target quickly acknowledged the problem on social media. The company stated it was aware of “intermittent issues” with its digital platforms. It assured customers that a fix was actively being worked on.

Importantly, Target confirmed all physical stores remained open for business. The retailer encouraged shoppers to visit locations in person. This was the only reliable way to purchase items during the outage.

Customer service accounts asked users to try transactions again after a short wait. Full service restoration timelines were not immediately provided. The company apologized for the disruption during the critical shopping period.

The Target website outage created a perfect storm of frustration during the busiest retail week of the year. This incident highlights the risks of heavy reliance on digital systems for time-sensitive holiday purchases.

Dropping this nugget your way-

When did the Target website outage start?

The Target outage began on the morning of Friday, December 19, 2025. Reports started spiking around 6:00 AM Eastern Time. The problem persisted through the late morning hours during peak shopping.

Could I still shop at Target during the outage?

Yes, all Target physical stores remained open for in-person shopping. The company explicitly confirmed this in its statements. The outage only affected the website, mobile app, and related digital services.

What if I was charged but my order disappeared?

This was a common issue reported by customers. Target likely advised monitoring your bank statement as pending charges often fall off. Customers were directed to contact customer service for unresolved transactions.

Were Target gift cards affected by the outage?

Yes, there were reports of issues processing digital gift cards. Physical gift cards purchased in stores were not affected. Digital card problems added to the overall disruption for online shoppers.

Has Target had major outages like this before?

While not common, major retailers occasionally experience significant system failures. These events are most damaging when they occur during high-volume periods like Black Friday or the week before Christmas, as seen here.