Target opened its first stores in Canada earlier this year and plans to take over some now-closed Zellers locations. Now that it’s about six months into their tenure north of the border, how are they doing? Canadians aren’t really warming to Target, as it turns out.

A recent survey showed that only 27% of Target customers were satisfied with their shopping experience, compared to 32% back in the sprint when they opened. To compare, 62% of Costco shoppers in Canada report being satisfied with the experience.

Target got its start in Minneapolis, and that’s practically Canada, so what’s the problem? Some experts point to how Target entered the Canadian market–by taking over the stores of a homegrown chain, Zellers. That invites comparisons and maybe some resentment, especially after making Zellers workers apply for jobs at the new Targets from scratch.

The problems have been more mundane, too. One Canadian reader vented to us about her local store in British Columbia, which has been having some really great sales, but can’t keep the sale items on the shelves. She cited examples in clothing and food, and here’s a representative one:

At the beginning of August they put Astro Greek Yogurt on sale for $2.99, a saving of $1.50. The cooler had two containers, none in the flavour I wanted (There are 4 flavours, I wanted sweet cream). A day later they had none in stock at all. I got a rain check. A week later the shelf was stocked, after the sale.

Is Target “too American,” or are they just having supply chain issues? Maybe they’ll find their way eventually. Just remember, upwardly mobile Americans will always love you. People with basic math skills, maybe not so much.

Target failing to impress customers in Canada [CBC]
Shoppers Think Target Is Missing the Mark in Canada [Fox Business]

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