Red and white and very bright – St. Albert’s Target opened to the public without fanfare on Tuesday morning at 8 a.m.
Some 30 customers lined up early in front of the doors – chatting, leaning on shopping carts and shivering in a cold wind.
Tito Rodriguez said he skipped work to check out the new store. “I want to see what it’s like. We drive by it every day and we want to see what the big deal is. It’s big in the States,” he said.
Shawn Green stood in line with his daughters Alicia and Kennedy, already equipped with a bright red shopping cart.
He said he was looking for some clothes for the girls and to compare the store with the ones in the U.S.
In marketing jargon, Tuesday’s quiet debut is known as a “soft opening.” Target plans a grand opening of its 22 stores in Western Canada on Friday, May 24.
In all, Target will open 124 stores across Canada this year, most in former Zellers’ locations, with some 27,000 employees. Individual stores will hire 150 to 200 “team members.”
Within the next decade, the retailer expects to expand to 200 stores across the country.
The average Canadian Target is 114,000 square feet in size with about 67,000 square feet of net retail space. The St. Albert outlet, previously a Zellers store, adds some 21,000 square feet to St. Albert Centre.
During a media tour of the new Target at West Edmonton Mall on Monday, Bryan Berg, senior vice president of Target Canada, promised consumers a clean, clutter-free and diverse shopping experience.
“Some of the things you see here today not only reflect what you would see in the U.S. but actually reflects some of the newest and best things in our stores,” he said.
Berg said Target provides a “one-stop shopping experience” to customers.
The store carries everything from apparel and accessories to beauty and personal care products, groceries, home and seasonal items and everyday essentials.
Items are organized in groups and colours to fit consumer needs: girl toys are in pink aisles, boy toys in blue ones, and baby items are located near the maternity section.
“If you visited a Target store 10 years ago you would have found the diapers in one part of the store, the infant toys in another … and the infant clothing in yet another part of the store,” Berg said.
“We went through an initiative several years ago to bring all those elements together in one spot.”
Target Canada spent an average of $10 million per location on renovating former Zellers stores and pursuing LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards. Based on each location, Berg said stores would differ from their U.S. counterparts.
Canadian stores are often smaller and have multiple entrances and exits with self-checkouts to aid customers in their shopping.
While they do not offer a cafeteria, the majority of stores come with a Starbucks, as well as an in-store pharmacy with patient consultation rooms.
For a limited time, Target will also carry a number of Canadian designer brands, including Canadian clothier Roots, and Sam and Libby footwear. Sports fans will find seasonal and local team wear in the “fan central” area.
Target promised it would be different from Zellers but not everyone thinks that’s the case.
“I am not disappointed but nothing like wow,” said Rodriguez.
“Just like walking into a Zellers but it’s better, it’s like an upgrade. It’s nice that it has a Starbucks.”
Green thought the selection was good though limited, and prices were reasonable though more expensive than in a U.S. Target.
“Pricing-wise, it’s some good stuff but different looks which is what we wanted because kids don’t want to have the same clothes as everyone else,” he said.
He added that St. Albert would benefit from the store. Obviously, smaller businesses worry that the big retailers will take over but not everyone can afford shopping at their stores, he said.
Many customers agreed that prices were comparable to other big outlets in the city.
Caroline Silzer liked the look of the store, but missed the cafeteria and more variety in groceries. Erin Paziuk said it was nice to have affordable, quality products in the city now, which saves her going to Edmonton.
Some customers may experience sticker shock when they discover that prices at Target Canada will not always be on par with U.S. stores.
Instead Target looks to operate competitively with other retailers in the Canadian market and offers price-match guarantees throughout the stores, Berg said Monday.
He reiterated that he is not concerned about consumers crossing the border to shop in a U.S. Target.
“Our function is to be absolutely price right in the Canadian market,” he said.
Berg said Target does not expect to be hurt by labour shortages in Alberta and was successful in recruiting staff.
He could not predict whether Target in Western Canada will experience inventory shortages similar to those at stores in Ontario when they first opened.
“With no previous history to rely on we’ve taken our best estimates at what would sell and at what quantities and we learned a lot,” he said.
“We don’t expect perfection here but we are really excited about the improvement and again the continual learning. And being in-stock for our guests is one of our top priorities.”
St. Albert Target will be open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday to Saturday and from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sunday.
Joan Elson, PR manager for Target Canada, said soft openings allow the company to add some final touches and bigger stock to its stores. Following the grand opening, Target’s first flyers will be available to customers.
For now, consumers will not be able to shop online at Canadian stores.
