Photo by Jason Merritt; C. Flanigan

Within hours of news that Beyoncé had broken an iTunes all-time record with her unexpected new album, Target stepped in like Debbie Downer and revealed it would not be carrying the new set.

While the iTunes exclusive worked greatly in the singer's favor for the 72 hours after the album's arrival, physical retailers won't be granted access to the self-titled LP until Friday—a full week after its original debut, something Target considers to be a disadvantage.

"At Target we focus on offering our guests a wide assortment of physical CDs," Target spokesperson Erica Julkowski told Billboard on Monday, "and when a new album is available digitally before it is available physically, it impacts demand and sales projections."

Fans of Beyoncé and music outlets immediately criticized the retail giant for its decision. But let's not forget, Target has done this before. When Frank Ocean unexpectedly released his debut studio album, Channel ORANGE, a week early exclusively on iTunes in July 2012, Target opted not to carry it, offering a reason very similar to Monday's announcement.

Interestingly, Ocean is featured on Bey's new track "Superpower." And it's certainly a coincidence, but it's definitely not the first time Target has blocked his music from being carried by its stores.

Meanwhile, Target's big brother Walmart proudly proclaimed that it is "happy to be able to carry her album and support all physical music." The album is due to arrive at physical outlets by Friday.