Will Marimekko for Target Sell Out?

Is everybody ready for Marimekko for Target, launching tonight at midnight? What's your personal shopping strategy? Mine will be to scope out the items I really want in the Lookbook this evening, then set my alarm to wake up at midnight and do all my shopping online (vs. braving the store tomorrow morning).

For those of you concerned about Target's website crashing (as has happened with past designer collabs) this article by the Star Tribune states that The Bullseye isn't taking any chances. Dozens of Target's technology, social media and guest relations employees will be working through the night Saturday to monitor the online launch and to help troubleshoot any problems. "It's all hands on deck making sure the [Marimekko] launch goes as smoothly as possible," said Joshua Thomas, a Target ­spokesman. And if traffic does begin to overwhelm the site, Target will likely put shoppers into queues as it did on Cyber Monday last December, when its website was also swamped. But the company hopes it won't have to do that, because in the past year they've been working to increase the site's capabilities to handle larger amounts of traffic during big shopping events.

But will Marimekko for Target cause the frenzy that Missoni and Lilly Pulitzer did? That's a good question. Marimekko does have the special ingredient that's been part of Target's biggest hits: bright, distinctive prints and patterns. Those also were part of the winning formula for the Missoni and Lilly Pulitzer collections. However, there are signs this one will not reach the same frenzy. For example: when Target held a pop-up shop in Manhattan's Bryant Park last year in advance of the Lilly Pulitzer collection hitting stores, long lines formed and it quickly sold out. But last weekend, Target once again gave New Yorkers first dibs on the Marimekko collection with a selection of items for sale on the city's High Line park. And this time, the products did not sell out.

On the other hand, the New York Post is predicting that Marimekko will be a sellout for several reasons. They cite the fact that the brand is beloved by style gurus from Jackie O to Sarah Jessica Parker. Plus, non-Target Marimekko isn’t cheap, and they carry a long-term value for vintage pieces. Marimekko is also hard to come by, as it only has a handful of stores in the U.S., and virtually none in flyover states — so this will be the only way for design buffs nationwide to buy the brand without resorting to its website.

The Look for Less: Kate Spade vs. Target

This striking similarity struck me the other day... Kate Spade has an adorable mini-journal - dubbed a "Little Gold Book" - available at Paper Source for $16.95 (shown far left). Not a bad price, but too high for me considering that the Dollar Aisle (at Target) has an almost identical one (shown on the right) etched with "Dream Big" for just $3.

Marimekko for Target already hitting eBay...

Uh oh.... it's happening again. In advance of the official Marimekko for Target launch (which isn't until April 17th) some goods are already hitting eBay, like these cute shorts in a Blue Citrus Pattern. How does this happen, you ask? Well, it's due to the fact that Target always has a press event to promote their designer collabs, and for Marimekko they've created an art installation + pop up shop on New York's High Line.  Select pieces from the collection are available for purchase on the High Line, and obviously some of those pieces are being resold on eBay.

If you're lucky enough to live in - or be visiting - NYC this weekend, the Marimekko for Target High Line installation is free to the public and open from April 8 – April 11. It runs from Gansevoort Street in the Meatpacking District to West 34th Street between 10th and 12th Avenues from 10 am – 8 pm ET daily.

Coming Soon to Target: Sugar Paper Office Collection

A Bullseye View reports that Target is continuing its collab with LA-based Sugar Paper with a new office collection. Coming early this Summer, the collection will contain nearly 50 office essentials, including a high-gloss desk (shown here in forefront) to inspire and brighten workspaces. The new Sugar Paper for Target collection will be available at all Target stores and on Target.com starting in early July. Prices range from $1.99 to $399.99 for the desk.

New at Target: Sam & Libby Jewelry

The Sam & Libby brand at Target is expanding beyond shoes & bags. I noticed the other day they now have a selection of belts, scarves and jewelry, like the two bangle bracelets shown here.  The solid blue one on the left is $9.99, and the watercolor-print one on the right is $12.99, making them comparable to similar costume-jewelry offerings at Target.

Cartwheel Now Clips Manufacturer's Digital Coupons

Target announced yesterday that it is testing a new feature that allows shoppers to combine Cartwheel’s percentage-off deals with actual dollar-off amounts from virtual coupons, all within the app.

Consumerist reports that thus far, the app features about 40 digital coupons — depending on where a particular shopper lives — showcased right alongside Cartwheel’s typical deals. The coupons can generally be identified by a dollar-off amount, rather than the the percentage discount that Cartwheel is known for. They also typically have a longer use period – several months, compared to the average weeklong savings of a Cartwheel deal.

Users simply click on the single-use coupon to add it to their Cartwheel barcode. As with the traditional Cartwheel app, the barcode is scanned at the register and the discounts deducted from the purchase. By adding digital coupons to the Cartwheel app, shoppers can increase the amount they save during a shopping trip since coupons generally provide larger savings — $0.50 to sometimes $2 off products — than the app, which typically offers savings of 5% to 15%.

The new feature is a partnership between the retailer and a third-party provider of digital coupons, TechCrunch reports, noting that the app will be integrated with a coupon database as opposed to Target working with actual product manufacturers.

Fab Find: Dollar Aisle Tote Bags

Yesterday at Target I spied these summery canvas tote bags in the Dollar Aisle. As shown, they come in colorful stripes, a fun shark print, and an adorable 'hello' design. Not only are they cute, they're a bit larger (making then more functional) than some of the other recent Dollar Aisle totes (like the bunny one I told you about a few weeks ago). And best of all, they're just $3 each!