Hot on the heels of a massive data breach that compromised credit and debit card information for some 40 million U.S. customers, Target has confirmed reports that some gift cards sold during the recent holiday shopping season were not activated properly by the retailer.

Target won’t give a specific number, confirmed the slip-up to both Reuters and the AP. The store says it will honor these cards and that anyone with a faulty card can bring it to any Target service desk or call 800-544-2943.

This is certainly not how Target wanted to end its 2013 holiday shopping season.

“It’s another black eye that makes you question the internal operating procedures of Target,” Brian Sozzi, CEO of Belus Capital Advisors tells the AP. “Target needs to be doing everything perfectly. It can’t afford to lose any more confidence among its guests.”

Target confirms some shoppers’ gift cards were not properly activated [AP]

Target faces problems with gift cards sold over holidays [Reuters]

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