MINNEAPOLIS, Oct. 14 (UPI) -- U.S. retailer giant Target said the sudden departure of Steve Eastman, the president of Target.com, was not linked to the store's Web site crashing.
Target said Eastman left "to pursue other opportunities" right after the Web site crashed for the second time in a month, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported Friday.
Target's first Web site crash occurred when demand overwhelmed the Web site as the company tried to present discount prices for products designed by Italian firm Missoni.
That crash was deemed a fiasco, as many consumers who sought out Target for the first time online could not place orders or had orders canceled.
Some analysis said the publicity would serve Target well in the long run. Online consumer reviews, however, were scathing.
Eastman is the second top Target executive to exit the company's Minneapolis headquarters in recent weeks. Chief Marketing Officer Michael Francis left to take a job with J.C. Penny Co. after 10 years at Target, the newspaper said.
"No retailer wants to have this happen in mid-October as you're marching toward the holiday shopping season," industry adviser Mary Van Note of Ginger consulting said. "It's like shutting your doors for 6 hours."
