Food 'definitely' part of Target Canada’s offering

In an interview with the Globe and Mail, Target Canada’s president confirmed that food would be a critical part of its assortment in as many as 150 stores when the discounter arrives in 2013.

President Tony Fisher said the retailer would not be bringing its huge SuperTarget stores to Canada, which feature full supermarkets along with general merchandise.

Nevertheless, Fisher told the Globe and Mail that the breadth of its food assortment would vary by market.

In May when the retailer gave Canadian journalists a tour of Chicago’s p-fresh format that offers a smaller array of fruit and vegetables speculation about Target’s perishable offering grew here.

Earlier in the year, Target purchased the leases of some 220 Zellers stores from the Hudson’s Bay Co. to convert them into Target stores.

On average the Zellers stores are 100,000 sq. ft. while the average Target store in the U.S. is 135,000 sq. ft.

The retailer is also looking to other sites to build stores that could be the size of its U.S. outlets.

Reatilers such as Wal-Mart and Shoppers Drug Mart are quickly expanding their food offers to ready for Target’s arrival.

Target hasn’t said how it will source its food in Canada; some experts believe the retailer will link up with a domestic grocer.