Target + Instagram = In A Snap

has launched a new app that allows its customers to snap a picture of select items and purchase them immediately. The app (appropriately called In A Snap) is built specifically for Target-related merchandise that appears in magazines, catalogues and other printed materials. Related ads will be noted with the In A Snap icon, which looks like a shopping cart. That icon does not appear in

, however, indicating that other, unspecified Target ads may be supported. This is part of Target's strategy to take back the holiday shopping season. Last year the company experienced a PR nightmare after hackers stole the credit and debit card data of more than

. The data theft impacted as many as 70 million Target accounts and cost banks more than

. At least one executive, former CIO Beth Jacob, was thought to have

because of the data breach. Target has tried to win back customers with special coupons and new text-based discounts (which are only given to those who hand over their mobile phone number). Target also announced its plans for superior

, which should make it harder for thieves to hack the retailer. In June, Target announced that online shoppers would receive free shipping on

totaling $50 more. Only oversized and/or heavy items would be excluded from this offer.

At its core, In A Snap is a Target-specific scanning app. Many bloggers are already

to the Firefly feature that is built into

. Some analysts think that Firefly -- which can scan and define millions of different items -- could be a

for Amazon. Target did not say how many items In A Snap can scan, but the app is currently limited to

of items. Firefly can scan actual items. In that sense, In A Snap might seem like a primitive app. Target is not branding it as an item scanner, however. The name says it all: with In A Snap, Target hopes to be among the ranks of popular photography apps, such as Instagram. Will that alone be enough to get consumers on board? The answer likely depends on how customers feel about Target products in general. In A Snap could be a big hit with the retailer's most loyal customers, but it might not be able to lure those who prefer other big box chains. Disclosure: