CALGARY GETS ‘THE TARGET EXPERIENCE’
‘I’m very excited that they’re here’
Having never visited a Target store before Tuesday, Jacky Kwan was first in line for the U.S. retailer’s much-anticipated opening in Calgary.
“It’s a brand new store opening and we’d like to experience the Target experience,” said Kwan, who with Cherry Lam, was first inside the new Market Mall store, one of three Target locations to open in Calgary on Tuesday.
Security guards were positioned and a designated area was marked off outside the store entrance.
However, when the 8 a.m. store opening came, only about 25 people were waiting to get in.
“I love Target,” said Jenny Kennerd, who came with her mother Kathy Stuj, to be among the first shoppers into the Market Mall store.
“I love their brands. Whenever we go to the United States, it’s the first place we shop.
“I’m very excited that they’re here. We’ve been watching the social media and listening to see when they were coming.”
Target stores at Chinook Centre and the Forest Lawn Shopping Centre also opened Tuesday.
A fourth store, The Shoppes at Shawnessy, will open next Tuesday.
Target opened 22 stores in Western Canada on Tuesday — the first outside of Ontario.
I n Cal - gary, t he Signal Hill store will open at the end of summer and the Sunridge Mall location sometime in the winter.
“The arrival of Target in the Calgary market is a transformation event on the local retail scene affecting consumers, general merchandiser and grocers alike,” said Michael Kehoe, an Alberta-based retail analyst with Fairfield Commercial Real Estate.
“Target’s grand opening in Calgary is the movie equivalent of a blockbuster grand opening. The honeymoon period with the consumer could be short-lived if the Target value proposition is not clearly defined with actual price savings and merchandise offerings that mirror the U.S. Target experience. Transient consum-
I love Target. I love their brands … JENNY KENNERD, SHOPPER
ers in the value end of the shopping spectrum have no loyalty at all.”
Sebastien Bouchard, manager of public relations for Target Canada, said the retailer is excited by the response it has received in Canada.
Just last week, for example, it surpassed one million fans in Canada on Facebook.
“Calgary is a booming market,” he said outside the Market Mall location.
“We’re bringing more competition and so far the response has been very positive.
“We’ve been getting a lot of support from the community here. Hiring went very well which was a surprise to us. So we’re just very happy to be here and hoping for the best.”