It was about time someone tried rescuing the sinking ship also known as Zellers. Today Target announced that it was buying Zellers from the Hudson Bay Company for $1.8 billion. Hopefully Target will be able to inject new blood into Zellers or maybe completely re-brand the stores to “Target” instead which I think would be a wise move. Hopefully this will also give Walmart Canada and Loblaws some competition and help lower the overall price of merchandise.
Thanks mamasavesmoola for letting me know about this!
Click here to read about this on CBC’s website
I’m really excited about this! I have a friend in the states who works at Target and always says how many good deals she gets there as well… hopefully the same thing will take place here in Canada. It’s been a long time coming…
yess me tooooo i m really excited whenever i go across the border i do visit target every time….some coool deals there….yayyyy
Im still charging you for my post. Lmao.
Hallelujah! I’ve been wanting a Target store here forever! And Zellers has needed a swift kick in the a$$ for a long time too!
denise 🙂
Yesss! It’s time to put Zellers out of it’s misery. And I love Target.
From the globe and mail:
The U.S. cheap-chic Target Corp. plans to convert up to 150 Zellers stores in Canada within two years as part of a $1.8-billion deal announced on Thursday morning that gives it a strong head start on other U.S. retailers hoping to break into the Canadian market.
Target will open 100 to 150 stores in 2013 and 2014 and unload many of the rest of the outlets to other chains, including Wal-Mart Stores Inc.
Wow. Cool! I’m excited !!!
OH MY GOODNESS!! I am sooooo excited! I have always wanted a Target!!!! I only loved Zellers for their Alfred Sung “Pure” line. So I will only miss that!!!!!
makes me happy I hate zellers and will not shop there even with the SPC discount.
Wow it’s about time. Zellers has been my least favorite store for many years now.
I love Target!!!!!!! They have such great prices and their home decor is awesome!
I am so excited, but I don’t expect to see US prices/deals.
To be honest the rumour exsisted years ago when I wrked at Zellers. Anytime there was a major staff meeting we wondered if it was the big “Target buyout Meeting” (usually is was “restructuring” of sorts)
I noticed the grooming of the Zellers brand years ago. They started carrying the exclusive brands that only Target carried, the logo design changes, the instore signage, the similar commercials, the store shelves becoming full out red.
It was just a matter of when to go for the kill shot with the Zellers dinosaur.
I’m sad to see another Canadian chain die- but WE ARE GETTING TARGET!!!! WOOO HOOOOOOOOO!!!!
This is a good thing because Zellers sucks and just continues to go down hill.
…and on a side note- cash in your HBC reward points now!
I hope the zellers near my house is on the list
Hope the can price match, and accept SPC card too
Maybe they will introduce us to DOUBLE UP COUPON DAYS!!!
Yes, it sounds great but what will happen the the z points. Anyone thought they will also lose senior’s days.
I would have prefered Kohl’s because really isn’t Target just another Walmart !
my posts dissapeared??? either which way- I’m still happy about Target!
oh they’re back….odd! 🙂
Oh that’s great! I HATE Zellers and LOVE Target.
I don’t expect US prices though. Target US has unbelievably low prices on everything. Maybe they’ll bring over their coupon system? I love that they just scan coupons and never look at them!
I can’t wait to see how this goes down.
I love, love, love shopping at Target when I’m in the US. The Target stores I’ve been to are always so clean and organized. It is also easy to find staff and they are friendly and helpful. I find the home decor, clothing and footwear is way better.
Although I very much dislike Zellers, I think its somewhat sad that we are losing yet another Canadian company.
LOVE Target – soooo excited! Thanks for the great news 🙂
I LOOOOOVVEEE TARGET OMG IM SO EXCITED…hopefully we get the same deals/prices and brands!
This has been a long time coming. As soon as The Bay sold them to U.S. interests this rumor started.
there goes another Canadian owned company….how many Canadian companies have been bought out by the US?
HBC isn’t Canadian-owned these days. An American group bought HBC out a few years ago.
http://www.newswire.ca/fr/releases/archive/July2008/16/c5105.html
That’s why you don’t see the “100% True Canadian” on Zellers signs these days.
I don’t get … everyone things lower prices ???? Amazon.com and amazon.ca are same company … do you see a price difference …. yeah we pay way more for the same product ! Check other companies that are in USA and Canada and see the difference too !
SL says “there goes another Canadian owned company….how many Canadian companies have been bought out by the US?”
Zellers is owned by a US company. So is the Bay.
P.S. How do you feel about Canadian Banks owning a good chunk of US banks. TD bank is the 6th largest bank(by branch numbers)in the US.
It’s not really Amazon’s fault. It’s the MSRP that is the problem. Pretty much everything in Canada have a higher MSRP compared to the American MSRP. With the dollar at par, the MSRP should be a no-issue but it still is. Sad.
for some reason i got totally excited when i read this on the google new feed! dork i am.
How can someone say a comment such as ” Zellers a sinking ship ” without knowing the actual facts. What makes them an expert in the retail industry. Having connections to Zellers and there financial records this year, the profits have been one of the best in the last 10 years and doing well above projected plan.
Please refrain from commenting unless you are absolutely sure.
YES, YES, YES!!!!!!!
I too look forward to Target but I doubt we will see the great prices that they get in the US. Lets see what happens.
@francis
Zellers was and will always be a sinking ship
@Francis- maybe its because Zellers has done some changes in what they sell in recent years (fridges, matresses, private brands etc) that makes their numbers finally look good. But where would their numbers be if they weren’t in the hole years ago?
Honestly- as a consumer I don’t see the value in Zellers anymore. Zellers is far from my first choice for a place to buy a fridge from. Their supposed profits aren’t trickling down the line. There are still staff cutbacks, crappy sale prices, poor staff morale and disorganization in almost every Zellers I’ve been in recently.
Zellers has been hemorrhaging cash for years. Thats why they started trying to restructure things. It all started with a little store called Wal Mart coming to Canada with the supply chain needed to kick the Big Z’s ass dollar wise.
Now Zellers will be reaching the “SAAN/Fields” status in the retail pecking order with the Target takeover.
In a few years we will be talking about Zellers like we talk about K-Mart, Woodwards and Eatons….”remember when….”
Well it is kinda sad to see it go. Every time I go there though it is empty (which is nice when I’m not in the mood to deal with Walmart Crazies :P) I’m not a fan of Target though – I find it to be one and the same as Zellers. I don’t see the difference but since ya’ll are excited I guess I’ll get my hopes up that something good will come out of this
meh.
I’m so excited. Target does collaborations with top designers ALL THE TIME! Zac Posen, Alexander McQueen, Rodarte!!!!! I really hope they just get rid of Zellers and replace all the stores with Target! I’ve been saying how much I wish Canada had Target for years!
Bytown, Zellers is already owned by an American company (lord and Taylor). These changes have been talked about since Zucker first bought out HBC a few years back. Although the original plan was to sell off Home Outfitters I guess current market trends led to Zellers being sold off. And as i understood it, not all Zellers will be converting to Target stores, just quite a few (although i could be wrong on that)
I don’t know what all the hype is yah sure Target coming to Canada does not mean they will carry the same brands and products as they do in the US. I shop regularly across border and there is a huge difference in the Walmarts in the US and the ones in Cda. From Decor to clothing etc. I’ll just have to wait and see.
I’m excited about Target coming to Canada, but agree it will not be the same. I hope they bring the friendly staff…always amazed at how friendly the ‘unfriendly’ Americans are.
mg very true the u.s.a walmarts are very differnt from the canada ones .Target may be run the same way .I sure love the u.s.a holiday product though .Hope some of it comes our way .
Looks like this dinosaur may finally become extinct – good riddance!!
So long Club Z, Hello Tarjay!!
Agree with Turtlegirl…Here’s hoping they introduce double coupon value days to Canada!!!
I hope Target brings us some of the nice variety of products that we see over in the USA. You have to admit, it doesn’t matter which retailer you go to here, they always carry pretty much the same products as each other. Target has quite a different variety of products that we just don’t see here.
Personally, I’ve never really gotten into Target and I really like my local Zellers and most of the people who work there.
OMG, I’m so excited for this. I love Target, ever since we lived in the States. They have got awesome deals, so much cheaper than Zellers. Hope the prices are the same as they are in the U.S. Wonder if they will still let us use coupons??
Although I boycott Walmart and its American Imperialism Agenda.
I’m all for Target as Zeller’s has declined substantially in recent years.
Sad to see them go, No that I am an avid shopper of Zellers, but it has been a Canadian Icon, I knew this deal was going down about a year ago, Zellers profits have been falling. The need to change the staff in some stores as they are horrible! I am all for Target, I love the store better than Walmart. They carry better brands and better quality if you ask me.
I just tried to figure out what my points are and it’s telling me the number I am typing in off my gold card is invalid. I just emailed them and hopefully we can figure it out.
ignore this if someone’s already asked this but
does this mean that they’ll stop taking SPC card? that would suck! its actually the only reason i still go to zellers!
i hope really hope they do open up some target stores here in canada!
I’m surprised it took this long…..my Zellers is always empty of customers, dirty and disorganized. I never understood how they stayed open. Target has to be better than that …R.I.P.Zellers…
Whats so funny is how many people think that Zellers is Canadian owned.
wow 2 good things in one day..My biggest hope is that they will carry target type stuff. When we lived in the States Target always carried cool decorations and stuff that other places didnt.. And 2 it would be awesome if they cleared out all the Zellers crap to make room for new stuff (imagine the sales)also would be nice if they didnt leave stuff lieing in the aisles and actually put stuff on shelves(the one here is horrible for leaving items in boxes)
I am not surprised…just hoping the Target washroom are cleaner!! ;(
I hate to see Zellers go and be replaced by Target. Just another Walmart as far as I am concerned. Hope that the people who are working at Zellers are given a chance to keep their jobs and positions. Hate to see people lose their jobs because of this changeover. I liked shopping at Zellers and have always found what I was looking for at a reasonable price. Walmart is nothing but crap!!! I have shopped at Target in the US and I have never been impressed.
sad to see what used to be a Canadian company disappear….also sad cuz we probably won’t get a Target in our little hole in the wall ‘city’
That would be awesome, Target is a great store and Zellers is a dump that needs major help.
Although I don’t shop much at my local Zellers, one of my first thoughts was “what’s going to happen to my HBC points?”. I guess I should redeem them! It’ll be kinda sad to see Zellers go.
I remember shopping at Zellers over 15 years ago when I was a kid. It was such a great store then. But over the years, I have gotten more and more disappointed in their prices (they are no longer competitive), they didn’t do price matches anymore and the worst thing is that when they featured a product in the flyer at a good price, it was never available when you went there to buy it. That’s always frustrating. I just stopped going. Their selection was not very good either. I’m not sure what to expect with Target, I certainly hope customer service will be better than the kind I receive at my local Zellers (another reason why I don’t go much anymore).
I don’t understand why a few of you are concerned about “HBC” Reward Points…they are not ‘Zellers’ Reward Points…they are “HBC” Reward Points. The Bay and Home Outfitters issue Hbc Points and you can still redeem them there. FYI…Club Z has been dead for over 7 years.
Hopefully they will make-over the stores,add some new merchandise,and have good sales.I have never been to a Target store,but I love there commercials.I kinda of thought they’re might be a takeover of Zellers,by some American Chain.I think America does retail better,except in the old days when,Vancouver had Spencers,Eatons,and Woodwards,they were the best.I miss Woolworth’s too.
I’m pretty sure many people would prefer to redeem their points at Zellers instead of The Bay or Home Outfitters because they can get grocery/ beauty items etc.
I’m excited that Target is coming to Canada but I know they won’t be bringing their low prices. All the pricing will be marked to compete with Walmart Canada, Superstore etc. It will be interesting to see what items are different.
I don’t know how is Zeller’s shopping experience outside of Quebec, but here, Zellers has a strong and good reputation. The stores are well maintained, the staff is great. It carries good products at a reasonable price, and there’s much less crap there than in Walmart, Hart or Rossy. So, I’m quite sad now… But still happy for SmartCanuck friends who are fans of Target.
the customer service at zellers has been fading away over several years, but in the the last 6 months it has hit rock bottom!!! i am glad to see someone else taking the reigns. prices and quality are important… but if you do not take care of your customers… they will not be back!!!
Goodbye, Zellers, HELLO TARGET!!!! Hate, hate, hate Zellers. Refuse to shop there and will not miss it. It is about time Target came to Canada.
I hope they become the next walmart supercenter. Looking forward to this. 🙂
All Zellers stores will not be bought and become Target – something like 220 Zellers stores in Canada (if I remember the number they quoted)and Target buying something like 170 stores – so some of the smaller Zellers stores could remain they say (my radio station is saying smaller stores in smaller communities will likely remain as Zellers). We won’t get the same lower prices as in the US just as we don’t with Walmart
Thius is awesome
To Francis: I think when they said “sinking ship” is the way Zellers looked. I have no clue what their financials are and I don’t care. All I know is when I walk into a Zellers, it’s dark, dirty, messy and way outdated. I stopped shopping at Zellers 6 months ago since they never had anything they advertised and their floors were so dirty, my shoes kept sticking, way to go Target, if it’s as clean and the merchandise is as well-stocked as the ones in the U.S., I will be one of your first customers. Adios Zellers!!!
I’ve never understood what all the fuzz is about Target. Looks like just another discount store to me, bargains aren’t that great,prices high and there are better store to shop at in the States. I like Zellers very much and have shopped there for decades. Impressed with the new upgrades, food sections and merchandise selection, I hope they do not change my local Zellers to a Target. I like my HBC points too, no points at Target.
First, as others have already said, Zellers was bought out by a U.S company a few years back, they are no longer Canadian owned. Second, I don’t know how Zellers is from a financial stand point, but personally I have stopped going there because every Zellers I have been into in the last 5 years or so is dirty, not well stocked, and out dated. I prefer to go to Wal-Mart, honestly. I am actually looking forward to this and hoping a Zellers in my area will be turned into a Target….I’ve always liked the look of Target and the items they carry. They have stated themselves that they will be competing price wise with Wal-Mart, so I imagine the prices will be good on some items and not so great on other things…..pretty much like any other store out there.
I am looking forward to it. I love how they have their own web coupons and then you can use Manufacture coupons and hopefully still use the SPC card! I have saved so much when I go to the states by combining their coupons. I hope they continue that in Canada.
We will all wecome Target with open arms! lol just when I’m starting to get close to getting enough points for the cheapest thing…and I’ve been saving all my life and never cashed in points yet. lol. Oh and I just shopped at zellers a couple days ago and just noticed they added a point chart to the back of their bills…ch-ch-ch-changes! :p
I will NEVER be a Target customer. Just another American company taking away jobs from Canadians. Those of you that don’t work for Zellers lke this changeover only because you won’t lose your job. Both my husband and I work at Zellers and now need to find new jobs because those employees working in stores that are being converted to Targets will be let go and out of jobs.
I have always shopped at Zellers as places like Walmart came into Canada and made smaller businesses go under. Target is now doing the same things. Over 28,000 Canadians will be out of jobs due to this change.
Good News!!! time to get rid of Zellers and their terrible stores. No customer service (store & corporate level), outdated computer systems, no inventory and bait & switch advertising.
I hope Target cleans up most of them!!
Very exciting news!! They should arrange the lighting of the store to have less lights, like a lot of the stores in the US do! Less anxiety and less rush to shop!
Will we be able to shop online from Target Canada?
Glad its “gone” i never shop there and target seems way better. Some of the stuff zellers sells is even more expensive then the usually more expensive ebgames and other stores, but they are keeping about 60 locations, so not all zelles will close
Well yes i am very sad to see yet another canadian company kicked out by the US. It is really just not right that in canada a canadian company have no pull but why would they they seem to keep kissing ass to the US. It is sad that all these people dont realize if you dont buy canadian you dont support the industries here and all the canadians will end up broke and right back into the hard economy. Why do you think the economy crashed it is because the us is making all there money from us. and this is just another way of doing it Zellers just needed to update there store and hire a more friendly staff and all would have been great. Bye bye zellers i will have to go some where eles i refuse to shop Target.
The point is not that it is or isn’t Canadian owned. The point is that we keep loosing symbols that are Canadian. Our identity is eroding. Target could have bought the stores, kept the name and with the right advertizing, let everyone know that they are overhauling the stores to Target standards.
Hello Everyone…
Don’t get to excited (I was so excited Target was coming as well….)There is 2 Target stores that just opened in Edmonton and I almost called in sick from work to go. One of the Target stores replaced “Designer Depot” and I am positive they just switched the signs. It was a slap in the face to Canadians! Obviously Americans think we are stupid and we don’t know what a Target store is really like. I also think they send all of the left over Target product that doesn’t sell up here, put a “sale” price (which is still expensive…not the deals the Americans pay). I felt like I was at a Target/Dollar store. There was no kids clothing, small amount of housewares…..it sucked!!!! (Also I am so mad Canadians still can’t order off of Target on-line…they won’t ship up here…HELLO you just expanded up here, supposedly)
Thanks
The Targets in Alberta are a completely different chain (cheap clothing stores owned by Fairweather) and have nothing whatsoever to do with the American Target. The American Target won’t begin expanding into Canada until 2013.
http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/Canada/20110114/target-trademark-110114/
Thanks TALP…I actually thought this chain/company was a real Target. I am so glad to hear this(I thought they weren’t opening till 2012/13 ish, that is why I was confused they opened so soon)….again Thanks,
Robyn