467 replies to this topic

[VicHockeyFan]

Their target.ca website is also bare bones - empty categories, no search, etc. It's like the whole Canadian Target roll-out is in beta.

Just before we left Escondido CA, we had a new three floor Target open in an old May Company mall location. It was fully stocked opening day.

Well, they will probably get lots of business due to the very professional Tillicum Mall Facebook page, that appears to be run by a 12-year-old.

Tillicum shopping centre facebook page is now hiring for volunteers. You must be a Canadian resident and live in B.C. Must have good ''English skills'' and good ''grammar''. Volunteers must have ''computer'' or any device and have ''social media experience''. Hours are available for those who are willing to take on any of these roles. Please reply below if you are interested for these spots.

2 manager, 3 content creator, 2 moderator, 4 advertiser, 2 insights annalist

[Gary H]

Wow.. First trip there tonite..

...

Many shelves and pegs are empty.. They're attempting to camouflage the fact by spreading single products 1 box deep across long shelves..

.. tried to get some black socks.. found the mens department, found the sock display.. 40 pegs on one side, 8 with product, and all were little ankle running socks, no thanks.

...

cakes..

Was in there on July 1st and they're still low on socks!

[sebberry]

Someone please fire that merchandiser...

[http]

Was in there on July 1st and they're still low on socks!

This is taking the "Just In Time" warehouse strategy a bit far out of its appropriate domain.

[Bernard]

The store is in our neighbourhood and I have been underwhelmed. The scope of what is available is less than when it was Zellers and the selection is not so great. I was hoping for something similar to the Zellers that had been there or the old WalMart at Town and Country but that is not the case.

Other than during the opening week, each time I have gone in there it has been empty

[D.L.]

Sounds like the underwhelming experience at the Target store in town here is a country wide problem - http://theglobeandma...rticle13832051/

"Target ... in Canada ... hasn’t been able to live up to high expectations, a new survey suggests. Shoppers complain that its stores have been short on inventory and that prices are higher than those at its U.S. outlets".

[spanky123]

Sounds like the underwhelming experience at the Target store in town here is a country wide problem - http://theglobeandma...rticle13832051/

"Target ... in Canada ... hasn’t been able to live up to high expectations, a new survey suggests. Shoppers complain that its stores have been short on inventory and that prices are higher than those at its U.S. outlets".

Prices are higher in Canada at EVERY US based chain.

[AllseeingEye]

Prices are higher in Canada at EVERY US based chain.

<-......this. Although I don't understand the supply chain problems; I admit I had high expectations based solely on my past experiences in US-based Target outlets. Clearly as it turns out that was an apple to oranges comparison unfortunately. Something has gone seriously sideways in terms either of their suppliers or their Canadian "strategy", or both.

[D.L.]

I don't care about having the same prices as the US, but stores with poor inventory is bad

[SamCB]

^I agree. I have stopped going into Target to look for things because I'm almost sure they won't have it. Latest items not shopped for at Target while I was at Tillicum mall: Baby sippy cup, certain items of kids clothing, men's socks. Very standard stuff, but it doesnt feel worth the effort to drag myself into their store. I've never left that store with exactly what I was looking for. That doesn't happen at wal-mart. And target's website still sucks. No search function (that I could find quickly enough to keep me away from amazon).

[Bingo]

Maybe they should just forget about another Target at Hillside and put a bowling alley in there.

[D.L.]

Seen downtown

[Nparker]

There is probably a better chance of finding what you want in that pile of leaves than at our local Target. The bar has been set VERY low for the Hillside location to exceed the standard currently set at Tillicum.

[concorde]

There is probably a better chance of finding what you want in that pile of leaves than at our local Target. The bar has been set VERY low for the Hillside location to exceed the standard currently set at Tillicum.

Well said. I've been to Target twice and have yet to buy anything and doubt I ever will

[bluefox]

Well said. I've been to Target twice and have yet to buy anything and doubt I ever will

Must be an Island problem.

The stores that have opened here on the mainland have been well-stocked, clean and given great customer service. The one at Metrotown just opened yesterday and it's fantastic - a real breath of fresh air considering that space was home just nine months ago to one of the worst Zellers locations in the country.

I've also been to a couple out in Ontario, same opinion. As with any company, they need to be given a chance to work out their kinks and earn your trust. No excuses for bad experiences, but any company is going to have that happen after launching from scratch in a new market.

[aastra]

The inventory/pricing issues at Canadian stores are well documented in the media. No doubt some stores will be better than others but it's definitely not a Victoria thing. Suffice it to say, Target's move into Canada has not gone smoothly.

[aastra]

From April:

...the real war is being waged over the supply chain, behind the scenes...

...competing retailers noted that the vendor structure in Canada is more complicated and difficult than it is in the U.S... that’s a polite way of saying the incumbent chains are using their clout to try to dissuade vendors from selling to Target.

For now, Target can dismiss its empty shelves as a symptom of overwhelming demand. But that will only work for so long. By the company’s own admission, it didn’t “buy deep”...

http://www.canadianb...s-the-targeted/

From August:

Only 27 per cent of Target customers said they were "very satisfied" with their shopping experience...

My visits to Canadian Target stores have failed to impress me at all. They seem to carry a very limited choice in merchandise (i.e.not variety I get at other department stores) and frequently they seem to be out of items and have a lot of empty shelves.

The local Target store opened last month. I went. I saw. I was not impressed. The selection was mediocre at best...

http://www.cbc.ca/ne...anada-1.1316609

[bluefox]

The inventory/pricing issues at Canadian stores are well documented in the media. No doubt some stores will be better than others but it's definitely not a Victoria thing. Suffice it to say, Target's move into Canada has not gone smoothly.

And I would agree that it hasn't; however, we are a nation of complainers, so I take a lot of what I've heard (especially from the media) with a grain of salt, especially since those opinions don't jive with my own experiences in these stores.

So what I'm saying is... don't trust the media.

[aastra]

I think over the past several months they've probably managed to address some of the problems and that's probably why your recent experiences have been good. Methinks this inventory thing is one of those issues that can only improve over time (unless Target ends up failing outright in Canada, of course).

[bluefox]

I think over the past several months they've probably managed to address some of the problems and that's probably why your recent experiences have been good. Methinks this inventory thing is one of those issues that can only improve over time (unless Target ends up failing outright in Canada, of course).

I mentioned the Target stores in Ontario. Those were my first visits to a Canadian location. I was at the Guelph one a day or two after the "soft opening" back in March. Visited early evening and saw no major issues for a store that, at that point, had already been open three days. The only things they were light on for stock were things that obviously aren't going to move in mass quantities anyway — electronics, appliances, furniture and other big-ticket items.

From what I could spy, they were mostly moving pharmacy items, beauty products, grocery stuff and clothing, and there were no major issues with stock. I do remember they were out of milk when I was there, but what do you expect when it's being sold for $3 a jug...

Yet the media – and grumpy people on Facebook – were painting this picture that the store was filled only with tumbleweeds and Target employees twiddling their thumbs.