They Came, They Did Not Conquer, Now Target Exits Canada

January 15, 2015


As a US retailer, many Canadians would flock south of the border to find and purchase items they could not get here in Canada, but two years later Target has decided to close its 133 stores in Canada. The company issued a statement this morning:

As a part of that process, this morning Target Canada filed an application for protection under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (the “CCAA”) with the Ontario Superior Court of Justice (Commercial List) in Toronto (the “Court”).

“When I joined Target, I promised our team and shareholders that I would Bye Bye Byetake a hard look at our business and operations in an effort to improve our performance and transform our company. After a thorough review of our Canadian performance and careful consideration of the implications of all options, we were unable to find a realistic scenario that would get Target Canada to profitability until at least 2021. Personally, this was a very difficult decision, but it was the right decision for our company. With the full support of Target Corporation’s Board of Directors, we have determined that it is in the best interest of our business and our shareholders to exit the Canadian market and focus on driving growth and building further momentum in our U.S. business,” said Brian Cornell, Target Corporation Chairman and CEO.

The writing of some type of big change with Target Canada was on the walls for months, as the US retailer has been plagued with problem after problem, and no bandaid or campaign made any difference.  Looks like the good communications professionals could not even help craft a message that consumers bought or executive leadership could help to deliver.


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Dave Forde


Dave “The Connector” Forde has been involved in the marketing, public relations and technology industry across Canada for over 15 years in various sales and marketing roles, he launched The Connected One network of business sites which connects buyers to the right sellers. Profectio and PR In Canada covers news about the marketing and public relations industry each day helping professionals advance their career and businesses.
He also serves as an advisor to a number of businesses across the country. Find Dave on LinkedIn and Twitter.

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