Singer Beyoncé may have thought it was a pretty clever marketing scheme to release her latest album first on iTunes. But major retailer Target is now retaliating against the singer's actions by refusing to carry the physical CD of her new release in any of its stores. Officials are claiming that the singer's decision to give preference to a digital release first lowers demand for that same album at Target stores and they didn't think it was fair to offer their customers what amounts to a secondary opportunity to purchase the new songs.

Target will not be joining other retailers who are expected to offer the new "Beyoncé" album on Friday, December 20, a full 7 days after the singer first offered it to her fans on iTunes. Analysts in the music industry are surprised that Target has made the decision to sever the relationship with the popular Beyoncé that they have established over the past few years.

"At Target we focus on offering our guests a wide assortment of physical CDs, and when a new album is available digitally before it is available physically, it impacts demand and sales projections," Target spokeswoman Erica Julkowski said. She continued, "While there are many aspects that contribute to our approach and we have appreciated partnering with Beyoncé in the past, we are primarily focused on offering CDs that will be available in a physical format at the same time as all other formats."

One of her previous albums, 4, was supported by a commercial in which Beyoncé herself proclaimed that fans could only get the special version with 6 extra tracks by shopping for it at Target. There has been no comment from the singer about Target's actions.

On The Web:
Target refuses to sell 'Beyoncé' due to iTunes-first launch
http://www.theverge.com/2013/12/16/5218158/target-wont-sell-beyonce-cd-version-because-of-digital-launch