In an effort to reverse slowing sales at Target, as cash-strapped shoppers flock to rival stores, the big-box retailer teamed up with Taylor Swift to capitalize on the momentum generated by her Eras Tour concerts.
On Black Friday, several customers braved freezing temperatures, lining up outside Target stores as early as 5 a.m. ET, eager to snag Swift merchandise.
“Yeah, it’s really cold, but we’re here to get Taylor Swift’s tour book and her latest vinyl drop,” said Carlos Miracle, a 31-year-old fan, while waiting outside a Chicago Target.
Parents of teenage daughters and young adults in their late 20s were among those looking to purchase Swift’s $39.99 Eras Tour book. The retailer also offered the vinyl and CD version of The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology, a 35-track album with four acoustic bonus songs. The vinyl was priced at $59.99, while the CD was available for $17.99, according to Target’s website.
In Los Angeles, Landon McCall, a 31-year-old accountant, shared that he initially came for the vinyl but decided to buy the book as well after an employee told him how quickly it was selling. “I thought I might as well get both … My daughter likes Taylor Swift too, so I thought it’d be something for her and her mom to look at together,” McCall said.
Swift, 34, has been breaking music industry records and stimulating local economies with her Eras Tour, now concluding its final leg in Canada. Some economists have even dubbed the phenomenon “Swiftflation.”
Swift’s May release of The Tortured Poets album helped boost Target’s entertainment sales by a high-single-digit percentage during its first quarter.
On Friday, Julia Corrin, 39, from Pittsburgh, bought the Eras Tour book, describing the tour as a “really special moment” and expressing excitement about having a keepsake to remember it by.
In New Jersey, 28-year-old Amy Webb lined up for the new Eras Tour book, saying, “I usually don’t buy anything during the holiday season, but wanted to get my hands on this before it sells out.”
On X (formerly Twitter), users posted images of long lines for Swift merchandise, with some noting that several Target stores had sold out of the Eras Tour book and The Tortured Poets vinyl by 9:30 a.m.
To boost sales during the shorter holiday season this year, with just 26 days between Thanksgiving and Christmas, Target will make Eras Tour merchandise available on its app and website starting Saturday.
“That’s the only reason I am here, we don’t want to go online and see that it’s sold out,” said Adrian Antuna, a 35-year-old Marriott Hotel employee, who was waiting for the Eras Tour book and a couple of vinyl albums.
