Target's Back-to-School Tour: 16 States in 3 Weeks, Still Out of Pokémon Cards
KEY POINTS
- •Adrienne Costanzo, Target’s chief stores officer, visited 16 states in three weeks to assess back-to-school readiness.
- •Target aims to recover from past inventory, DEI issues, and a controversial Halloween costume under new CEO Michael Fiddelke.
- •Despite busy stores near the University of Wisconsin, Pokémon cards sold out instantly, showing ongoing supply challenges.
Adrienne Costanzo, Target’s chief stores officer and queen of 350,000 minions, embarked on a back-to-school odyssey visiting 16 states in three weeks—faster than most people can finish a Netflix series. In Madison, Wisconsin, she checked shelves brimming with LoveShackFancy and Hollister collabs but glaringly missing Pokémon cards, which sold out after a line of 50 desperate customers. CEO Michael Fiddelke's turnaround plan is like a midterm exam in the math of retail: can they fix recent stumbles, DEI drama, and a racist Halloween costume snafu? Costanzo admitted the team was working hard but forgot the smiles and eye contact that actually convince you to buy more than glue sticks.
Share the Story
(1 of 3)Nothing says ‘back-to-school’ like a 16-state road trip, CEO dramas, and kids fighting over invisible Pokémon cards. Retail therapy or retail tragedy?
Target’s back-to-school plan: travel thousands of miles, fix shelves, but forget happiness is the best marketing.
Apparently stocking shelves is easier than stocking smiles. Good luck with those eye-contact shortages, Target.
Source: Businessinsider | Published: 8/29/2026 | Author: Dominick Reuter
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