As recently as a few days ago, the average American didn’t know much about the Lilly Pulitzer fashion brand.
A much-anticipated collaboration between Lilly Pulitzer and Target changed all that pretty much overnight.
The launch of the Lilly Pulitzer Target line was such a massive hit that long lines formed at Target stores nationwide and Target’s website went down because it couldn’t handle the enormous traffic.
Within a few hours, Lilly Pulitzer went from a popular designer that had an ardent, but semi-anonymous following, to a household name that inspired massive news coverage and social media discussion.
The Lilly Pulitzer Target craze got us to thinking about other shopping frenzies that have taken place in the past 21 years.
1994: Wonderbra
Innovation in the brassiere space was significantly lacking when Sara Lee decided to launch the Wonderbra. The bra used a push-up design that caught fire with consumers. Women lined up to buy them at stores and they flew off the shelves at a record pace.
1996: Tickle Me Elmo
There was a time when Elmo was just another Sesame Street character. The focus was primarily on Big Bird, Oscar and the Cookie Monster. That all changed with the release of Tickle Me Elmo. The giggling doll became such a sensation that it prompted store stampedes and led to resale values of up to $2,000.
1998: Furby
It’s hard to believe, but as recently as 1998, the concept of having a computer chip inside a toy was revolutionary. The Furby was basically a furball with eyes and a mouth that repeated words it heard. It looked ridiculous, but it quickly won favor and stores could not keep up with the rabid demand.
2006: PlayStation 3
By the time Sony released the third iteration of its popular Playstation video game console, it had already built a huge audience. So much so that people camped outside stores in 2006 in order to buy them before they sold out. Unfortunately, the demand was so high that there was an outbreak of violence at some stores as customers fought to get their beloved PlaySation 3s. (Photo by: Barone Firenze / Shutterstock.com)
2008: Snuggies
Adding sleeves to a blanket turned out to be pure genius for the makes of the Snuggie. During the holiday season in 2008, the product became so popular that it gained nationwide acclaim and was being sold in heavy volume at starts across the country.
2011: Air Jordan XI Retro Concords
Essentially a re-launch of the same model that Michael Jordan wore during the 1996 season, these sneakers prompted long lines from Air Jordan fanatics. Some of those lucky enough to buy the shoes before they sold out, were putting them up for resale at up to $1,000 per pair.
2014: Apple iPhone 6
You don’t have to go back very far to find another recent example of a shopping frenzy. Apple’s iPhone 6 prompted such strong consumer reaction, that people camped out days ahead of time to land one of the models before it sold out. Unlike Target, however, Apple continues to produce more iPhone 6s to meet demand. Target has said it will not restock its Lilly Pulitzer line. (Photo by: Hadrian / Shutterstock.com)
