Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Target’s multibillion-dollar disaster could happen again
.news.com.au ^ | January 26, 2015 | Emma Reynolds

Posted on 05/14/2016 11:44:15 PM PDT by Morgana

IT was a spectacular disaster, a multibillion-dollar failure so abject that retailers are looking at it for what not to do.

As senior staff reveal just what went wrong, companies hoping to conquer Australia are looking at Target Canada to see what makes a global brand fall on its face.

The US chain — which is unconnected to the Australian one, although they share similar branding — expected to settle in to its neighbouring country with ease. Instead, customers quickly deserted the depressing stores with their empty shelves, poor service and broken technology.

Target Canada filed for bankruptcy protection after burning through $7 billion, muddying the brand’s reputation and putting around 17,600 people out of work.

So why did it collapse and, with international retail giants knocking down Australia’s door, how can other brands avoid getting burnt?

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION

Target went all in, buying all of Canadian discount chain Zellers’ 124 leases for $1.8 billion in 2011. But the local ultra-low cost retailer hadn’t necessarily courted the same customers, so many of the locations were far from ideal for Target.

Even the Zellers CEO said it was “pretty surprising” Target paid so much for the stores, Canadian Business reported.

Once it had paid, the retailer was locked in to opening all locations as quickly as possible to avoid paying rent on unused buildings. The firm planned to do so within two years. There was no time for mistakes.

(Excerpt) Read more at news.com.au ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy
KEYWORDS: canada; canadatarget; closed; target; targetcanada
It would seem Target has not been doing so well. They went to Canada opened a bunch of stores, did not do so well, then closed all stores at once.

Now they do this. Looks like they will be closing a bunch of stores here in America.

1 posted on 05/14/2016 11:44:16 PM PDT by Morgana
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Morgana

Bttt


2 posted on 05/14/2016 11:47:16 PM PDT by ptsal
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Morgana

“Now they do this. Looks like they will be closing a bunch of stores here in America. “

Let’s work on making sure that happens.


3 posted on 05/14/2016 11:51:23 PM PDT by aquila48
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: aquila48

>>>>Let’s work on making sure that happens.<<<<<

Maybe they can get Mooch to make another public appearance in one of their stores (as if she would regularly shop there) and later publicly bitch about having to help someone get something off a tall shelf when asked for help by a shorter person. Oh wait, they already did that......


4 posted on 05/15/2016 12:18:41 AM PDT by MamaDearest (<i>)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Morgana

The reason why Target failed in Canada can be chalked up to four reasons.

1. Target could bring a lot of its signature products into Canada because US manufacturers weren’t willing to change their processes to account for Canada’s bilingual system, so Target wasn’t able to differentiate itself from other large department stores.

2. Target messed up in its ability to replenish its stores. When it sold out of something, it might have been two weeks before they could replace it.

3. The other retailers ensured Target couldn’t make a profit at any of its stores, because they allowed their locations near Target stores to lose money. Target, having to compete as best it could had to match prices and give up its profit in doing so.

4. Probably the biggest factor was that there were too many Target stores in Canada. Each of them were siphoning off its own customers from each other and causing every store to under perform. They might survived in Canada, if they only had a third of the stores it did.


5 posted on 05/15/2016 12:18:43 AM PDT by Jonty30 (What Islam and secularism have in common is that they are both death cults)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Jonty30

I heard it was Wal Mart that did them in. I could believe that. Wal Mart is well organized and has stores everywhere.


6 posted on 05/15/2016 12:57:49 AM PDT by Morgana ( Always a bit of truth in dark humor.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Morgana

It was everybody. Canadian retailers learned from their mistakes with Wal-Mart.


7 posted on 05/15/2016 1:08:29 AM PDT by Jonty30 (What Islam and secularism have in common is that they are both death cults)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: Morgana

Embracing the LBGT community has turned out to be the retailer’s third rail, K-Mart, Penny’s and now Target. People will vote with their feet and money no matter what the LBGTs, who have wormed their way into upper management (and government), want, compell and dictate.


8 posted on 05/15/2016 1:29:19 AM PDT by fella ("As it was before Noah so shall it be again,")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Morgana

Well, they are a Target after all.


9 posted on 05/15/2016 1:52:53 AM PDT by Kickass Conservative (Hillary Clinton has killed four more People than Three Mile Island.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Morgana

“Now they do this”

I don’t follow. Now they do, what? The article was completely about what Target did wrong in Canada. It was about how that could happen again if someone made the same mistakes.
It has literally ZERO to do with Target in the US or as a company now.

Read the article. It is actually fairly interesting. A total, “What If” piece but still interesting.


10 posted on 05/15/2016 2:14:15 AM PDT by Snark
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Morgana
It would seem Target has not been doing so well. They went to Canada opened a bunch of stores, did not do so well, then closed all stores at once.

Now they do this. Looks like they will be closing a bunch of stores here in America.

Pretty common result when one puts politics ahead of business - better efficacy when one puts business ahead of politics.....GO TRUMP!!!!!!

11 posted on 05/15/2016 4:45:21 AM PDT by trebb (Where in the the hell has my country gone?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: fella

BOYCOTT TARGET PETITION
IF YOU OBJECT TO CONFUSED GENDERS IN YOUR BATH, LOCKER OR DRESSING ROOM. YOUR SMALL SONS ARE NEXT AGENDA
https://www.afa.net/action-

Man accused of choking girl, 8, in restroom of South Loop restaurant
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-man-accused-of-choking-girl-8-in-south-loop-store-20160513-story.html


12 posted on 05/15/2016 5:44:51 AM PDT by GailA (any politician that won't keep his word to Veterans/Military won't keep them to You!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: Morgana

Long ago our family had gotten to the saturation point with boycotts, and while we maintained a white list versus a black list, we hadn’t boycotted the Target because both Wal-Mart and K-Mart had their own problems, and people still have to buy stuff and live their lives.

The bathroom business pushed Mrs. Sivana over the edge on that one. It no longer is a theoretical construct of where a tiny slice of revenue goes (and is therefore remote cooperation rather than support).


13 posted on 05/15/2016 5:59:01 AM PDT by Dr. Sivana ("There is no limit to the amount of good you can do if you don't care who gets the credit."-R.Reagan)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Morgana
The world would not miss Target. Just pre yard sale junk over priced. Cheap crap!
14 posted on 05/15/2016 6:52:28 AM PDT by Awgie (truth is always stranger than fiction)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Morgana

Their Canadian stores sucked. Nothing worth buying. Far different from American Targets.
They basically did Zellers 2.0 whereas there was a reason Zellers went down. Nothing worth buying.

Cheers,
Jim


15 posted on 05/15/2016 7:23:38 AM PDT by gymbeau (Go America! Without you there is no freedom.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Awgie

As is Khols, Walmart, JC Penneys,Sears, etc....

And that will leave... No-one to buy from!


16 posted on 05/15/2016 8:10:24 AM PDT by Snark
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson