• by Sarah Mahoney , May 9, 2026

Target, which claims to be the most-followed big-box retailer on TikTok, is looking to leverage social discovery in two new ways. Club Target is the gamified, tiered rewards play for everyday creators and superfans, who'll get weekly social challenges and gift cards. And Target Ambassadors, which it claims is the first such retail program built inside LTK, the popular creator platform, is wooing established creators, offering expanded benefits, higher commission rates and deeper brand access.

The goal is making it easier for guests to move from inspiration to purchase in ways that feel natural and personalized.

"We're reimagining social commerce by meeting brand enthusiasts and consumers where they are — from supporting emerging creators through Club Target to giving established creators a more integrated experience through our first-of-its-kind program with LTK," says Sarah Travis, chief digital and revenue officer. "It's all in service of creating more seamless pathways from inspiration to purchase."

The announcement comes as Target continues to battle its way out of years of sales challenges, including a recent change in company leadership. In its most recent quarterly results, the Minneapolis-based company reported a 2.5% decline in sales, but forecast growth ahead, anticipating a small increase in comparable sales, with net sales expected to rise 2%.

Placer.ai, which tracks foot traffic, reports that Target's share of visits has remained relatively flat over the past three years, even as rivals saw significant gains. Costco's store traffic rose 18% in that period, for example. But trends are looking brighter: Target's first-quarter visits rose 5.1% year over year, marking the chain's first positive visit growth in more than a year, suggesting its new turnaround strategy may be gaining traction.

On paper, the new programs make perfect sense for Target. It's a brand that already shows up organically in social media, in hauls, style content, and "Target run" videos. And Target notes that nearly 75% of U.S. consumers have purchased a product because of creator content.

Thousands of creators are already participating in the Club Target pilot. Target Ambassadors aims to bring in more sophisticated creators who already manage their business infrastructure within LTK — including its app, content creation and monetization tools — offering more than a traditional affiliate relationship.

Some analysts remain skeptical, pointing out that rivals like Walmart and Costco offer shoppers better value, while specialty retailers and ecommerce platforms capture demand through deeper assortments and faster delivery. In this "precarious middle ground," writes Brett Husslein, who follows the company for Morningstar, "Target aims to differentiate by offering a stylish, convenient one-stop shop." Recent share losses across discretionary categories — from 8.3% to 6.8% in hardlines and home furnishings since fiscal 2020 — highlight the fragility of that positioning when merchandising missteps occur, making the chain more vulnerable to execution errors, including inventory markdowns, digital slowdowns, or shifts in discretionary demand.