Target stores were cancelled in Canada🇨🇦🚫

[ekk.hilgeman]

I didn’t think I’d ever here someone say, “I want the American version of this” 🥴🤣

[kerrigansunday]

I just moved to Canada from the US and I was very sad to discover there are no targets in Canada

[jessicad]

I was working at target when all of the Canadian stores were closing down and we had to have an all store meeting away from guests where they told us “you might hear in the news that targets in Canada are shutting down and that is true. If anyone approaches you and asks you about it you must immediately get a lead and not say anything. If you speak of this outside of work you will be fined and fired.” They acted like it was some huge scandal and as if reporters were going to come into our small Midwestern target lol.

[ddh]

I worked at Target during that time... for what it's worth, it had a lot to do with trade/import restrictions. Target wanted to offer the same stuff Canadians liked to buy in the U.S., but they couldn't. No one liked the substitutions, so it failed. Hard.

[KallianaCorus]

I was at McGill studying Marketing when Target left Canada. Literally all my classes put our actual subject on hold for a day and talked about what went wrong. One of my professors had to pause class because someone from CBC was calling him to schedule an interview. It was one of the most memorable days of my university experience. So many people were excited when they came to Canada and the fact that they failed so spectacularly is very interesting.

[boutik]

Target's biggest problem when they moved to Canada was that their supply chain was not established enough. Very quickly the shelves were empty and after a Christmas season with nothing to sell they never recovered financially and had a very bad reputation with Canadians.

[BakuraLOLZ]

I worked for target for four years and let’s just say it’s only fun to shop there when you haven’t worked there. It really is jus fancy Walmart

[drsamthefrog]

I'm American but I think Target is so much like Superstore (minus the extensive groceries) but they didn't have a chance. I admit I love Superstore so much and when I visit family in Canada, I always go multiple times during my visit!

[CrunchyLeaf]

They dove in and put up way too many stores way too quickly. Still scored some good stuff but it was few and far in between.
But had they just done a test run in Toronto (like any other sensible American business (Chick-Fil-A)) they could have played it safer and reworked their ideas to the Canadian shopping habits.

[alessm]

It's such an interesting thing. Target failed to compete with Walmart in Canada. Bright Sun Films has a great video on Target Canada.

[lalaj]

Target failed in Canada for a number of reasons. The two main reasons were the ridiculously high prices for seriously crappy stock. When the Target big boss said that Canadians just didn’t know how to shop and needed to be taught, implying mental insufficiency, that was the final death knell. Canadians may be friendly and polite but they are more than happy to teach through passive aggressive means. Even as the stores were closing with big sales, the parking lots were empty and no one I knew even bothered to look for bargains. I also have not shopped in a Target in the U.S. since.

[beepboop]

In my part of Canada they closed in so quickly before any other places in Canada. They made the mistake of buying an very loved franchise and to close all their store to replace they with target. Which basically pushed most people to boycott them and to hate them.

[rendlew]

There are complex legal reasons about why certain brands are not sold in Canada. I do apparel for work and we have a separate Canada-safe section online.

[isaveu]

I remember the first target came I was so excited because I used to shop over in New York. It was ridiculous full of junk. It was like they just changed the sign 😂

[whythenumber]

Like when Starbucks tried to come to australia LMAO

Edit: the way y'all blew up this comment. Im australian. Starbucks is 🤮. Bye

[stonefacedmedusa]

I’m so sad that Target and Ulta don’t have a presence here

[imamazing]

Canadian here and can confirm. The one in west edmonton mall SUCKED

[AmazingestAnna]

As a Canadian it is so sad 😭 we don’t have a target but at least we have 👏👏👏👏 toys r us still ❤❤

[thepsychomermaidgirl]

It was so expensive too, it was not worth it at all. I miss zellers

[EviePontecorvo]

The in house brand for Canadian Target was called Beaver Canoe.