Conquering The Imminent Target Drop
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Conquering The Imminent Target Drop
How to prepare ahead of time and how to hurdle their biggest obstacle
Well, that was eventful!
So. We all thought Target was going to have their huge PS5 and Series X restock on Cyber Monday. Or at least on Tuesday, right? Walmart had what was possibly their largest restock this year on Monday. It only made sense that Target would as well.
Not quite. Alas, it is Wednesday and we are still waiting. But not for long…
In my previous article regarding the imminent Target drop, I posted photos sent in by a Target insider showing quantities up to 54 PS5s arriving to Target stores by 11/28. The most recent intel that I have received shows a quantity of 88 PS5 consoles heading to a store on 12/02.
Links to the Next Gen Consoles at Target
PS5 Disc | PS5 Digital | Xbox Series X | Halo Xbox Series X
What does that tell us about the actual restock date?
Historically, stock has arrived to Target stores over a period of roughly 2-3 days. In previous cases we have seen that Target will have the restock occur either on the last day of the arrivals or the following day.
Target has now been receiving PS5 shipments to stores since last Saturday. Today is Wednesday, so that is 5 days of shipments! Having released on Fridays very recently, it makes sense to assume they will release stock this Friday. But I strongly advise being ready for a Thursday restock as well… you know, just in case they switch things up and take aim at a different day.
So what time do Target Restocks Typically Occur?
Target restock drops have happened first thing in the morning every time they have had one this year. 6AM - 8:30AM Eastern Time is the window you want to be ready for. That means waking up early and being coherent and ready to seize the day.
Note that the product pages for the PS5 and Xbox Series X are typically blank until just before a drop. Recently, all stock is available in a single sales wave and sold until out of stock.
What payment method is best for checking out at Target?
Apple Pay has been widely reported as the quickest checkout method during almost every restock. It is instant and generally leads to success.
Target Red Card is also a fast and reliable method of checking out. It is their native payment and does not require authorization from a Credit company.
Paypal is also a quick, easy method of payment that can be completed instantly without the need for a Credit authorization.
Credit Card is the worst of the available methods of checking out during a restock drop, but it can still be successful, and is successful for many.
The infamous “Add To Cart Glitch”… Yeah, about that…
Even with all of the knowledge stated above, thousands of people find themselves on the product page, frustratingly attempting to check out, but unable to add their console to their cart. This is an issue that people have been facing for the entirety of 2021 on Target drops.
Knowing what time the restock will occur and which payment method you need to use to maximize your chances of success is often still not enough.
So the question remains…
How do you bypass the Target “Add To Cart Glitch”?
How to Beat the “Add To Cart Glitch”
Getting to the product page is quite an easy task: I will tweet direct links and drop reminders on the SupplyNinja Twitter Page. However, it can be extremely difficult (and frustrating) trying to Add a PS5 or Series X to your cart.
Once you are successful in adding the console to your cart, it can then be equally difficult to checkout, select your payment method, and complete your order.
Spam that Add to Cart Button!
For every 1000 consoles available in a drop, there could be 10,000 people attempting to purchase it. That can cause a massive spike in any website’s bandwidth, drastically slowing down the website’s ability to function correctly, and sometimes even bringing page loading to a halt.
What that means for you is you will need to be more aggressive in your attempts to make this purchase. Essentially what you want to do with Target drops is hit the Add To Cart button, choose or deny additional product coverage, then go to your cart to see if it successfully added to cart. It will likely fail on the first try.
If adding to cart fails, go back to the product page, refresh the page, and start over. Repeat this process until you successfully add to cart.
Spam that Place Order button!
Once you have it in cart, choose your payment method and place your order as quickly as you can. It is entirely possible for the console to sell out while you are checking out. First come first serve!
If placing your order fails, refresh the cart, choose your payment method again and hit place order again. Repeat this over and over again until your order goes through. Do not get discouraged by repetition!
What else can I do to increase my chances for success?
There are a few key actions that can be done to increase your chances for success on any restock that happens.
Sign into each big retailer early each morning. Signing in during a drop can be a huge waste of time and can cost you your success as others checkout.
Have your payment set up and ready to go on each website. You don’t want to be scrambling and wasting time during a drop.
Follow + Turn ON @SupplyNinja Twitter Notifications. It is imperative that you receive all of the alerts that I tweet out… on time.
#NeverGiveUp! This is a hashtag you will see me use over and over again. If you ever want to give up, just think about if all the people who succeeded at getting a console had given up just the day before.
Not everyone will win on every restock, but everyone has an equal chance! Persistence and positivity win in the long run. Thank you for your support, and don’t forget to share SupplyNinja with your friends and family. Good luck!