Target, Inc.

Mississauga, Canada – Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is reportedly expanding its Canadian operation, even as chief rival Target is exiting the country after spending $4 billion in an effort to open stores there. According to the Wall Street Journal, Wal-Mart plans to spend $270 million on building 29 new Canadian supercenters and an expanded distribution network to support them.

Target is continuing to re-define its digital offerings, this time by shutting down its two-year-old movie streaming service.

The Target Ticket service was shut down Tuesday, but customers will still be able to use the service to view already rented movies and TV shows until Target Ticket's closure on March 7.

Mississauga, Canada – Landlords holding the leases of Target Canada stores reportedly are requesting that Ontario Superior Court put Target Canada into full bankruptcy. According to the Toronto Globe & Mail, the move would remove control of liquidation of the company’s assets from Target and put it in the hands of a third-party trustee.

A perfect storm is brewing for risqué product sales with Valentine’s day falling on a Saturday and coinciding with the release of the erotic film Fifty Shades of Grey.

Just as retailers such as Toys “R” Us, Kohl’s and Target offer extended hours ahead of Christmas, the 13-unit Hustler Hollywood chain is viewing this weekend’s confluence of events as a major sales opportunity.

Millbury, Mass. -- Douglas Wine & Spirits, Visionworks and DSW are opening in early 2015 at The Shoppes at Blackstone Valley, in Millbury, Massachusetts.
 
Douglas Wine & Spirits opened February 1st and occupies a 5,400-sq.-ft. space between Sleepy’s and Guitar Center. Visionworks will be in opening in March in a 2,700-sq.-ft. space between Sephora and Feng Asian Bistro.

DSW will be making its appearance in early April in a 15,000-sq.-ft. space adjacent to Marshall’s.

ECRM compared retail circular advertising in January 2014 vs. January 2015 and noted trends occurring across top retail chains. Target boosted circular pages used in January 2015 by 18%. Get Fit, Choose Well Eat Well, and Baby circular themes were seen at Target Y/Y. Target added a “Halftime Spread” theme Wrap section in the pre-big game circular featuring PepsiCo products and private label snack foods.

Boston -- Three of the nation’s largest asset disposition companies were the successful bidders in the race to liquidate inventory at Target’s 133 Canadian locations.
 
Gordon Brothers Group, Hilco Global (through its Canadian division  Merchant Retail Solutions) and affiliates of Great American Group secured approval from Target Canada and an order from a Canadian court to manage the store closing process for Target’s 133 Canadian locations, with store closing beginning February 5, 2015.
 

It’s the end of an era that never really began for Target Canada as three of the biggest names in the asset disposition world begin store closing sales at Target’s 133 Canadian locations.   Gordon Brothers Group, Hilco Global and Great American Group were the successful bidders at a Jan. 27 auction and secured approval from Target Canada and an order from a Canadian court to manage the store closing process for Target’s 133 Canadian locations.  

New York -- Target chairman and CEO Brian Cornell has made some bold moves since arriving at Target last fall, but the most significant revelations concerning long term prospects will come in early March when the company hosts its first investor conference of the Cornell era on March 3.

By Will McKitterick, analyst, IBIS World