Missoni at Target: Taking the Customer out of Customer Service?

Like many other hopeful Missoni fans, I had been looking forward to the Missoni launch at Target for weeks. Missoni is one of the principal couture designers that features knitwear, and the design house’s use of stunning prints and fabulous accessories has really elevated the craft. As a knitter, I look up to Missoni for inspiration on how something as simple as a scarf can be transformed into art. That is the genius of the Target capsule collections—wearable art, available to the masses at an affordable price. Or is it?

 

Who were the customers that successfully got their hands on Target’s Missoni collection? There were not many, from what I’ve heard. Target had hinted their online collection of Missoni would go live at around 1am Eastern Standard time on September 12^th. I checked that night, but saw only the blank screen with a Missoni teaser photograph. I got up at 5am Pacific time on the day of the launch, to check on the progress of the website, but it was down. I checked periodically between 5am and 8am, but nothing. The site was still experiencing “technical difficulties”—in other words, Target was not prepared for the onslaught of excited Missoni shoppers and the system collapsed.

Between 8am and 9am, I was able to connect intermittently with the website, enough to see a few items, but not enough to purchase any. Every time I put an item in my shopping cart, the entire system crashed (woof!) and kicked me out again. Somehow, mysteriously, I was able to see that the entire collection of Missoni scarves had sold out. How was this possible, when I had been trying for four solid hours to log on and purchase a scarf, and each time was kicked off? Who are these mysterious shoppers and how did Target allow them to buy all the long brown and blue zigzag  scarves while I was left  in the cold?

 

By 9am, I realized that my dream of buying the Missoni scarf was dead. Unless I could find it in a Target store! I strode into the Sunnyvale store, only to find empty Missoni shelves. The only Missoni item that had not been stripped by rapacious shoppers was a black hat with a zigzag-printed stripe. Apparently, customers had waited for hours to get into the store, and the few shoppers at the head of the line had stripped every item off the shelves, piling them into their carts until they could hold no more. So much for designers for the masses. Between Target’s faulty website and their surprising refusal to impose limits on how many items shoppers could purchase from the capsule collection, Target only dispensed Missoni items to a lucky few. As it turns out, Target’s customer service turned out to benefit very few customers indeed.

 

I don’t see how this approach benefits Target in the long run. Between the malfunctioning website and the pillaged stores, my experience of Target customer service does not inspire me to want to shop there again. Even worse, the same day that Target online and stores sold out of the Missoni collection, 21,000 Missoni items appeared on ebay. The same long brown scarf that I should have bought from Target’s website at $19.99 is now on sale for $60-$70 by a competing “retailer”—oops, I am sorry, I mean Target customer. Does this mean that Target sold the Missoni capsule collection only to their competitors? Apparently, the aggressive individuals who ravaged Targets’ stores shopped not as customers, but as entrepreneurs. They have set up their own stores on ebay and are now selling the Missoni items for two or three times the price, right under Target’s nose.

 

Apparently, this is not the end of the story, as another Missoni shipment is expected to some local Target stores on Thursday or Friday this week. For anyone who wants a few Missoni prints to wear, and is not out for profit, here is my advice:

When the store opens, go directly to the discard rack in the changing room. I actually found 8 different Missoni garments discarded there, in varying colors, in the Mountain View store on launch day and was able to try them on and imagine myself for a moment living in a Missoni world. Most of the discards were size extra large or large, it is true, but then it turns out that the sizing of the Missoni garments runs REALLY small. I am happy to say that I was able to find a black and white zigzag Tee-shirt, a purple and green zigzag cardigan and a lovely variegated floral blouse, all of which fit me perfectly, and harmonize with the rest of my wardrobe. Each item cost less than $50, and captured the beauty of Missoni style . If Target had the common sense to limit the number of designer items any one person could purchase from their capsule collections, perhaps everyone would be able to have an enjoyable experience shopping there.

Comments

[Maxi]

I will be knitting my very own "Missoni Sweater" !

[Katinka]

How frustrating! I'm glad you were able to find a few pieces, though.

[Kristen]

This doesn't surprise me. The same thing happened when Target sold John Derian platters and plates. Gone from their website by the time I logged on. Grrr.

[betty]

I'm not sure why there is such a fascination with the Target Missoni line. Personally, I think you could knit yourself something with a Missoni vibe and have a much nicer garment or accessory

[Debby]

When Target came out with the Liberty prints, I didn't have a terrible experience...when I got to the store, some things were gone, but I still had a decent choice. I'm amazed at what happened to you with Missoni. Perhaps because of the economy, people are looking to take advantage wherever they can, and when Target realizes they are losing money, they will hopefully wise up and change things. The hype they create is hurting them...I don't think Kohl's is having any problems with their Vera Wang line.

[Umbrella]

That's too bad you had such a irritating experience at Target. Thank you for sharing it, though. I've had some similar on line experiences. I starting to think it is better to just head down to the store early on.

[printing services]

They might still be handling the issue. These are common business faults.

[Essie]

None can doubt the vreicaty of this article.