TargetWell, that escalated quickly!
The Lilly Pulitzer for Target collection sold out in a matter of hours on April 19, and people were not too happy about it (at least the ones who weren't able to get their hands on the brand's cheap-and-chic printed items in time). And it's no wonder, really: The collection, which featured a range of chic steals in clothing, accessories, beauty and home goods categories, was priced from a just $2 to $250. This collab was also one of the first designer collections at Target to offer a comprehensive range of plus-size clothing.
And sorry, guys, if you weren't an early bird you may be out of luck: The limited edition collection was only planned to be in stock while supplies lasted, and won't be replenished in stores or online.
Shoppers were also frustrated by the lag time on the retailer's website: Items that were shown to be available would be sold out by the time the shopper reached the checkout page. Some online shoppers were not able to use the site, which had a noted early morning blip, at all.
Yep, those chevron-stripe bikinis, tropical-print cover-ups, eyelet tunics and airy summer jumpsuits sure did fly off the shelves...and right onto eBay, where they're being sold at outrageous markup prices.
A Target representative told USA Today that the eBay markups were "really disappointing"—but not surprising, when you consider that these limited edition lines are often considered collectibles once sold out.
Some of the crazier eBay markups included two beach chairs and a hammock posted with an asking price of $999 and a "buy it now" option ringing in at $1,299. Apparel, like a simple white eyelet tunic, was marked up at almost double and triple the price.
Yikes. But all's fair in online and in-stores discount designer collection shopping, right?