Target "recovering" from overwhelming traffic; opening 17 stores Tuesday
Target announced on Monday the “soft opening” dates for 21 locations across Southwestern Ontario.
On Tuesday morning, 17 stores will swing open their doors to consumers, and another four will come online next Thursday.
The openings follow the launch earlier this month of three pilot stores west of Toronto. According to John Morioka, vice-president of merchandising for Target Canada, those stores have been consistently “slammed."
“We thought that there would be an initial bump and what I would say is that the bump has not levelled off to the degree that we thought,” Morioka said during a media tour of Target’s East York Town Centre location. “That has probably been the most surprising part of it and we haven’t been able to recover.”
Shoppers have been vocal about their disappointments at Target's first three stores on social media. Some have complained about barren shelves (despite signage throughout stores announcing "we're in the process of stocking up so you can too"), higher-than-expected prices and spoiled food, reports the Toronto Star.
But Morioka says it's all a learning experience, and Target has adjusted their systems in response.
“We’ve been tuning the dials, so to speak, for the past two weeks,” he said, noting they have improved truck-to-shelf delivery.
According to a release, this latest wave of store openings will allow Target to continue volume testing.
Locations opening on Tuesday, March 19:
Ajax - Durham Centre
Aurora - Aurora Shopping Centre
Brampton - Shoppers World Brampton
Burlington - Millcroft Centre
Cambridge - Cambridge Centre
Etobicoke - Cloverdale Mall
Hamilton - Centre Mall
Lindsay - Lindsay Square Mall
London - Masonville Place
London - Westmount Shopping Centre
Newmarket - Upper Canada Mall
Orillia - Orillia Square Mall
Toronto - Centrepoint Mall
Toronto - East York Town Centre
Waterdown - Flamborough Power Centre
Whitby - Taunton Road Power Centre
Windsor - Devonshire Mall
Locations opening on Thursday, March 28:
Brampton - Trinity Common
Burlington - Burlington Mall
Mississauga - Square One Shopping Centre
Toronto - Shoppers World Danforth