Senior Amanda Allessio headed to the Hartland Target when it opened at 8 A.M. on Sunday in hopes of purchasing items from the Lilly Pulitzer for Target collection.  The attractively priced 250-piece collection featured 15 exclusive prints, keeping with the iconic preppy and colorful Lilly Pulitzer look.  Lilly-lover Allessio managed to score big, purchasing about 25 items for herself and others, including senior Jordyn Puccio, who loved the result of the collaboration.

“I love the prints,” said Puccio. “ I think [Lilly Putlitzer] did a nice job of keeping up the quality of the brand.”

However, not all fans were as pleased.

Technical difficulties with Target.com quickly created pandemonium in the early hours of Sunday morning, when the collection launched online.  Before the collection was officially available, many items were somehow buyable on the mobile website around 1 a.m.  Eager buyers jumped at the opportunity to snatch up dresses, bags, shoes, and home décor.  Others questioned why they were unable to make purchases on computers or laptops.

Shoppers took to Twitter using #LillyforTarget to express their confusion and anger.  Jason Goldberger, President of Target.com and Target Mobile, tweeted an explanation.

“[A] handful of skus went live early on mobile,” Goldberger replied to a customer.  “Not buyable now.  Will be shortly.  Your order is fine though.  Congrats.”

When the collection “officially” went on sale around 3 a.m., many items were already sold out, including many of the iconic shift dresses. Within minutes, immense traffic forced Target to adjust its website, making it temporarily unavailable.  Eventually, some shoppers were able to complete their purchases. Others were left with empty carts.

Shopping was equally as difficult in stores.  Items flew off the racks at Targets nationwide.  Many Lilly fans were, again, left empty-handed.

Target spokesperson Joshua Thomas told USA Today everything was “virtually sold out” within hours.  The collection that was anticipated to last for weeks did not even last a day.  Unfortunately, the company will not be restocking the collection.