Target’s rapid expansion into Canada is proving a disappointment to many consumers, with the retail chain coming in last in a customer satisfaction survey.
According to a Forum Research survey reported on by the Globe and Mail, only 27 per cent of consumers say they are “very satisfied” with Target, a lower score than any other big-box retailer. The highest numbers went to Costco. (See slideshow below for a complete breakdown.)
Since the chain began opening stores last spring, consumers have complained about low inventory and have expressed disappointment with how Target’s Canadian prices compare.
Market analysts began warning last spring of a consumer “backlash” against Target because Canadians had -- perhaps unrealistically -- expected the chain's Canadian prices to be similar to those seen in the U.S.
“There was a lot of hype before Target entered the country,” Forum president Lorne Bozinoff said, as quoted at the Globe. “Now that people have shopped there, I think there is a bit of a letdown.”
Target Canada President Tony Fisher says he sees customer satisfaction growing as the chain expands across the country, CBC News reports, but the Forum Research survey suggests things are going in the opposite direction -- Target had scored five points higher on customer satisfaction in an earlier survey.
Fisher had said earlier that Target Canada isn’t “trying to compete with ourselves” and those shoppers seeking U.S. prices are free to keep cross-border shopping.
Here’s how big-box retailers scored in the Forum Research poll:
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