Target limits 15 percent off Cyber Monday sale to that day, online this year

Target's 15 percent off sale on Cyber Monday is becoming a bit of a tradition. And while the retailer broadened it last year, Target is limiting it just to that day and online this year.

Last year, Target extended the promotion to stores and held it over two days -- Sunday as well as Monday -- as it looked to get more bang out of the excitement from the offer and to help diffuse the traffic to its website over a longer period.

After all, in 2015, the first year Target offered the 15 percent sitewide deal on Cyber Monday, a huge influx of web traffic overwhelmed its site. Target had to put shoppers into virtual waiting lines to access the site, frustrating shoppers.

Eddie Baeb, a Target spokesman, said the company found last year that customers are conditioned to shop online on Cyber Monday.

"The strongest response was from guests on Monday, so we thought let's lean into that this year," he said. "It's part of the decision to shift some of those promotions to a time when it would be more impactful for guests."

For example, Target also decided to get rid of its 10 days of deals offered during the week of Black Friday this year and instead has been holding weekend deals in recognition that more shoppers are in stores on those days rather than the middle of the week. The change is part of Target's efforts to simplify its holiday promotions this year.

So is the approach this year to the Cyber Monday sale a sign that Target is also feeling more confident about how its website will handle the traffic this year?

"Certainly we feel great about the preparations we've made and have been stress testing the site," he said, adding that the site has had a smooth performance during other big traffic days such as the release of big designer partnerships, including the launch earlier this month of Chip and Joanna Gaines' line at Target, Hearth & Hand.

Target will have other Cyber Week discounts starting this Sunday. It will also for the first time offer digital daily deals throughout the rest of the week.