Target launched a completely redesigned website last month, only weeks ahead of the Missoni promotion. Building the new company site was probably one of the biggest e-commerce projects in history, Andrews said.
“I don’t know of any other major brands with the kinds of traffic and revenue that Target has that basically changed everything all at once,’’ he said. “Aside from the challenges yesterday and a few other hiccups, it’s gone very well.’’
It took two years to develop the new site, an effort led by SapientNitro, an Internet marketing and software company based in Boston. Other Target site partners include IBM Corp., AT&T - the hosting provider - and Akamai Technologies Inc., the giant Internet infrastructure firm based in Cambridge, which stores some of Target’s content on its network of servers all over the world.
SapientNitro and Akamai declined to comment on the crash, deferring to Target.
To prepare for large surges in online shopping, retail websites usually make sure they have enough server capacity to handle slightly more traffic than is generated by Black Friday, the biggest shopping day of the year, said Andrews.
Site traffic on Tuesday was greater than on Black Friday, according to Target. Eric Hausman, a spokesman for the retailer, said there was “an unprecedented demand.’’
The promotion is the latest in which Target partners with an upscale designer, who creates an affordable line to be sold at the retailer’s stores. The site crash began in the early morning hours, shortly after Target introduced the Missoni line, which included products ranging from bicycles and dinner plates to sweaters.
The site continued to malfunction throughout the day.
After helping a friend stock up on Missoni merchandise at two Target stores yesterday, Melissa Massello of Somerville, general manager of events at online trading site Swap.com, used a break at work to see if she could make a few purchases online.
