2013

February
The target: Open 124 stores across Canada by December

March
Opening day: Target’s first three stores open, in an old Ontario Zellers, offering groceries, but no fresh

April
Excited Canadian shoppers flock to the aisles only to find empty shelves and sparse stock. Awkward…

May
Go west, young Target: In one day, Target opens 22 stores in B.C., Alberta and Manitoba. Company filings reveal Canadian sales to date: $86 million



July
Closing in: With 20 new stores, Target is halfway to its 124-store goal

August
Survey says: Only 27% of Canadians say they’re “very satisfied” with their experience at Target.
After hiring Sobeys to supply it with groceries, Target says in-store pharmacies in Quebec will carry Metro’s Brunet drug banner.

September
Another 23 stores: Target enters Quebec. Meanwhile, Q2 sales reach $275 million but losses hit $169 million.

November
A few more openings means Target is now in all 10 provinces and has reached its 124-store goal. High fives all around!

December
Seventy million customers, including Canadians, get hit by the second largest credit-card breach in U.S. history. Target offers free credit checks.

2014

January
Why dwell on the past? Nine more openings planned, including a ground-up store in Toronto.

February
Target says it has lost close to US$1 billion in Canada to date

May
Canadian president Tony Fisher is fired only two weeks after Target CEO, Gregg Steinhafel, steps down amid fallout after December’s credit-card breach. He’s replaced with 15-year company veteran Mark Schindele.

July
Target taps former PepsiCo exec Brian Cornell to be the retailer’s new CEO

August
Target Canada admits it opened too many stores in Canada too quickly

2015

January
Target announces it will be closing all 133 locations in Canada