Northern Light
Superstar
I've been in Target a few times.
Discount stores are not really my thing, but curiosity aside, they can be handy places for oddities (a new TV remote for instance).
My overall impression is that they are highly competitive (for the market) in bedding, towels, and electronics. They are un-even (price wise) on cooking/small appliance housewares, with Canadian Tire and other posting similar and sometimes cheaper prices on the same items.
Their grocery prices are a minor disaster; they are barely in line with 'conventional' grocers, never mind discounters.
***
Prices aside, I think inventory issues have been the source of most customer irritation. I went in the other day to buy a new 'bed in a bag' for my elderly mom, who isn't the least bit fussy about such things, and just needed something new. They had a decent (average) product of that type........except ZERO that fit a double bed, on a shelf that could have held several dozen (they didn't have most colours in the other sizes either).
I asked staff about it was was told 'we haven't had that shelf properly stocked in the 5 months we've been open, no one can explain it'
I also asked if other Target's had what i was looking for.......they had to phone the other store, because they have no access to inventory of other stores online.
:O
I mean what? Canadian Tire w/their old primitive monochrome computers could do that in the last century.
At the other store they still had to physically check the shelf!!!!
For corporate behemoth known for its leading edge use of customer analytics that blows my mind.
I will say they don't appear to be very busy at all; and its not surprising, between inventory issues and prices that at best 'don't stand out' and at worst are a bit high relative to market-peers.....
All in all, a flubbed market entry.
Discount stores are not really my thing, but curiosity aside, they can be handy places for oddities (a new TV remote for instance).
My overall impression is that they are highly competitive (for the market) in bedding, towels, and electronics. They are un-even (price wise) on cooking/small appliance housewares, with Canadian Tire and other posting similar and sometimes cheaper prices on the same items.
Their grocery prices are a minor disaster; they are barely in line with 'conventional' grocers, never mind discounters.
***
Prices aside, I think inventory issues have been the source of most customer irritation. I went in the other day to buy a new 'bed in a bag' for my elderly mom, who isn't the least bit fussy about such things, and just needed something new. They had a decent (average) product of that type........except ZERO that fit a double bed, on a shelf that could have held several dozen (they didn't have most colours in the other sizes either).
I asked staff about it was was told 'we haven't had that shelf properly stocked in the 5 months we've been open, no one can explain it'
I also asked if other Target's had what i was looking for.......they had to phone the other store, because they have no access to inventory of other stores online.
:O
I mean what? Canadian Tire w/their old primitive monochrome computers could do that in the last century.
At the other store they still had to physically check the shelf!!!!
For corporate behemoth known for its leading edge use of customer analytics that blows my mind.
I will say they don't appear to be very busy at all; and its not surprising, between inventory issues and prices that at best 'don't stand out' and at worst are a bit high relative to market-peers.....
All in all, a flubbed market entry.
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