Target CEO Gregg Steinhafel issued an apology on the company’s website Friday to the approximately 40 million customers affected by one of the largest credit-card breaches ever to hit a U.S. retailer.
To make up for the problem, which Steinhafel said has been "eliminated," Target is offering customers 10 percent off this weekend, the same discount Target workers get.
“The message I would like to leave with guests is that we value their business, and we appreciate the trust they place in us as a company and as a friend and a community partner,” Steinhafel said in a video posted to YouTube. “So at Target we get a 10 percent discount if you’re a team member, and we want to extend that team member discount to all of the guests that come and shop with us this weekend as a small way to just say thank you for being a great guest at Target.”
The discount is available Dec. 21-22, but some restrictions do apply:
“Valid in store only. Limit one offer per guest to be used in a single transaction. Void if prohibited by law. Not valid in Canada. No cash value.”
Hackers obtained the credit and debit card numbers of millions of Target customers over the course of 19 days, beginning the day before Thanksgiving, according to Reuters. If you are wondering whether your information has been compromised, the retailer says to call 866-852-8680. Here is the text of Steinhafel’s full apology:
“Yesterday we shared that there was unauthorized access to payment card data at our U.S. stores. The issue has been identified and eliminated. We recognize this has been confusing and disruptive during an already busy holiday season. Our guests’ trust is our top priority at Target and we are committed to making this right.
We want our guests to understand that just because they shopped at Target during the impacted time frame, it doesn’t mean they are victims of fraud. In fact, in other similar situations, there are typically low levels of actual fraud. Most importantly, we want to reassure guests that they will not be held financially responsible for any credit and debit card fraud. And to provide guests with extra assurance, we will be offering free credit monitoring services. We will be in touch with those impacted by this issue soon on how and where to access the service.
We understand it’s been difficult for some guests to reach us via our website and call center. We apologize and want you to understand that we are experiencing unprecedented call volume. Our Target teams are working continuously to build capacity and meet our guests’ needs.
We take this crime seriously. It was a crime against Target, our team members, and most importantly, our guests. We’re in this together, and in that spirit, we are extending a 10% discount – the same amount our team members receive – to guests who shop in U.S. stores on Dec. 21 and 22. Again, we recognize this issue has been confusing and disruptive during an already busy holiday season. We want to emphasize that the issue has been addressed and let guests know they can shop with confidence at their local Target stores.”
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