Target Looks Northward, Targeting 2013 Reopenings

Minneapolis-based Target, which has a reputation for style at a popular price point, is having a hard time these days. Same-store sales are up, but only a bit, as "value-conscious" US shoppers pinch pennies while the economy remains stalled.

The Wall Street Journal recently questioned whether Target is losing its cachet, a problem because that's a major point of differentiation when the retailer faces off against Walmart and other discounters. 

Still, Target sees growth opportunity in Canada, where it's converting 105 former Zellers stores into Target stores. They're currently operating with the Zellers format but by 2013, all the stores will be renovated and reopened as Target branches, giving the company a sizable presence in all 10 Canadian provinces. The Canadian flagship store, also opening in 2013, will be in Toronto's west end.

Canadian shoppers are sure to give Target a try, given the retailer's reputation and its popularity with shoppers who cross the border. Will its Canadian stores restore the chain's cachet and reenergize North American sales?