ON TARGET?
Canadians flock to new Target stores but not everyone emerges happy,
The bull’s-eye brand is a hit for some and a miss for others.
Canadian shoppers flocked to 17 new Target stores this week, and while diehard fans are thrilled to have the cheap-chic brand north of the border, many shoppers complained of higher prices and empty shelves.
The U.S. retailer announced the openings across Ontario Tuesday as part of a “soft launch,” as it prepares to open 124 stores in Canada this year. Earlier this month, three stores opened in Guelph, Milton and Fergus.
The much-hyped openings have drawn long lines and big crowds. But some shoppers were disappointed with what they found inside: product shortages and sticker shock.
“It’s Target, not Holt Renfrew,” complained Dawn Starkman, who visited North York’s Centerpoint Mall location on Wednesday.
Starkman, a buyer in the film industry, often travels to Buffalo to bargain-hunt at Target. After seeing the Canadian price tags, she said she’ll continue to make the trip across the border.
“It should be Target, where college students go to furnish their dorms in the U.S., where single mothers go to buy stuff for their kids. It shouldn’t cost Canadians more money,” Starkman said.
Her complaints were shared by a number of irate shoppers who posted on Target Canada’s Facebook page. “Honestly most of the prices are outrageous,” wrote one customer. “And the selection is terrible. Hope something changes soon.”
Spokesperson Lisa Gibson said Target is committed to being competitively priced in the marketplace. The retailer’s price-match guarantee also applies in Canadian stores, she added.
“For reasons well-documented, there may be some slight differences compared to U.S. prices, but in other cases, prices will be on par,” she said.
The Kate Young collection, expected to arrive in stores in April, will be priced the same as in the U.S., while exclusive, higher-end items like the Roots Canada for Target collection will cost more, she said.
Target has been criticized for pricing items higher in Canada because the retail landscape is less competitive, despite the Canadian dollar being roughly at par with the U.S. As for the holes in stock, the company has said that it has been overwhelmed by demand during the soft launch, which it considers a trial period to test its systems. Despite some unhappy customers, the stores drew mostly positive reviews from Target fans on social media. For those shoppers, the appeal is not just a lower price point but the unique items the retailer offers. “They had Roots clothing for good prices but limited supply,” tweeted @lisaannecopland. “Not too many deals yet at #target but they have such a great selection of homewares!” wrote @sadie12. Laural Adams tweeted a photo of her two excited kids at the Burlington store launch. “We’ve been counting down the days to the opening,” she said in an interview. Adams said she’s a fan of Target because it offers brand-name items at less expensive prices than department stores, especially when it comes to kids’ clothing. Her 5-year-old daughter, Chloe, had so much fun shopping for clothes and toys, she wants to have her birthday party in the store. “She loves it,” Adams said with a laugh. “She can pick whatever she likes from the clothes, because I can afford to have more liberty with her when we shop there.”