Target is leaving canada

[Metroplex79]

Sorry for the zombie thread revival, but it is kinda related.

ARTICLE: Target Canada had bare shelves—but overflowing warehouses

One of the biggest problems of Target Canada’s early days, as recounted in Joe Castaldo’s major Canadian Business feature out today, “The Last Days of Target,” was the fact that its stores were poorly stocked—a problem that customers weren’t shy to complain about:

[I]t didn’t take long for consumers to start complaining on social media about empty shelves. “Target in Guelph, please stock up and fill the shelves,” wrote one aggrieved shopper on Facebook. “How can I or anyone purchase if there is nothing left for me to buy?” Target told the media that it was overwhelmed by demand and made assurances that it was improving the accuracy of product deliveries.

In media reports, the bare shelves became a near-constant trope, a stark illustration of the shortcomings that were causing consumers to sour on Target. It was well-known at the time that the company was struggling with its supply chain, but we now know that the problem wasn’t a lack of product in the pipeline—it was way too much:

Ironically, even as consumers encountered barely stocked stores, Target’s distribution centres were bursting with products. Target Canada had ordered way more stock than it could actually sell. The company had purchased a sophisticated forecasting and replenishment system […], but it wasn’t particularly useful at the outset, requiring years of historical data to actually provide meaningful sales forecasts. When the buying team was preparing for store openings, it instead relied on wildly optimistic projections developed at U.S. headquarters.

Products were flooding into Target’s warehouses, but a litany of software problems meant they weren’t getting to stores. Or they got there—but in such a haphazard way that head office couldn’t keep track of them:

These sorts of hang-ups happen at any warehouse, but at Target Canada, they happened with alarming frequency. Warehouse workers got so desperate to move shipments they would sometimes slice open a crate that was supposed to contain, say, a dozen boxes of paper towels but only had 10, stuff in two more boxes, tape it shut and send it to a store that way.

There’s a ton more in Joe’s feature about everything that went wrong at Target—and there’s a lot. Check it out in full here.

I'm wondering if this is true. If it is, the laughs got a lot louder.

[python]

Very good read - would recommend.

[Chigimus]

Haha, beat me to the punch of zombifying this thread as I just came across the source article on my facebook feed. But yeah, although it's a long read, it's still very good at explaining how they reached the epic fail that they did. Giant facepalm at every level though.... I can't believe they allowed this to happen for the sake of meeting an unreasonable timeline. Target got what they deserved for mishandling things as badly as they did.

[Tekkamanraiden]

I had a feeling they went about this all wrong but wow that's an understatement.

Originally Posted by Chigimus

Target got what they deserved for mishandling things as badly as they did.

True, too bad the 17,600 regular employees got to feel that instead of the executives.

[ConvoyGTR]

Huhhhhhhh.

[joelones]

Imagine the sizes of their cojones at the executive level (big guys with expensive suits and MBAs and all); thinking they could enter a market they knew nothing about using ERP/SC software they had no experience with and use a green fresh-out-of-school workforce. Apply the Target US model and it'd work they thought. Hindsight and all... I still wouldn't do any better but still, really gutsy - only cost them a couple Bil. Old CEO gets a nice package though. Funny how that works.

I remember thinking why on earth were there two Targets within a 10 minute walk from each other around my area. They literally bought up all the Zellers leases and opened up shop without an afterthought.

Now there's less competition and Walmart can have it's way with us.

Target Canadian Expansion Plan

Step 1: Convert Zellers stores to Target stores

Step 2: ???

Step 3: Profits!

Good read nonetheless.

[Matrix_Holder]

They blamed canadian shoppers for not changing our shipping habits and our dislike for their empty shelves and high prices.

[python]

Originally Posted by Matrix_Holder

They blamed Canadian shoppers for not changing our shopping habits and our dislike for their empty shelves and high prices.

I found quite a few deals at our Target - great deals. But these were FAR and FEW between. Went to buy stuff more often to find none in stock/sold out.

[Sun Swipe Prime]

Originally Posted by python

I found quite a few deals at our Target - great deals. But these were FAR and FEW between. Went to buy stuff more often to find none in stock/sold out.

I found tons of deals... when they started liquidating stock.

Man, the cost of delaying openings? What about the 2 billion reasons to make sure it was done right? Stock backing up in the distribution centers? That's laughable. I'd laugh even harder if the thousands of employees didn't lose their jobs.

[xbrawn]

Wonder how much target exclusives will hit the liquidators soon?