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