Archived Target pulling out of Canada

[Hardlinesmaster]

Ok, that's public then
Busiest we've seen the store for a long long time today - lines from the checklanes all the way to towels.

From spot press release:
Target Canada currently has 133 stores across the country and employs approximately 17,600 people. To ensure fair treatment of Target Canada employees, Target Corporation is seeking the Court’s approval to voluntarily make cash contributions of C$70 million (approximately US$59 million) into an Employee Trust. Upon approval by the Court, the proposed trust would provide that nearly all Target Canada-based employees receive a minimum of 16 weeks of compensation, including wages and benefits coverage for employees who are not required for the full wind-down period. Target Canada stores will remain open during the liquidation process.

 

[RetailWorld]

Why can't we talk about it, its on the news.

Basically Spot doesn't want you attaching personal observations or "insider" information while talking about the issue....and having a news site picking up the quote and running with it and using it as "insider" information.

Invoking the social media ruleset is a really easy and convenient way Spot can get rid of people. Easier than performancing out, since the social media guidelines are very straight forward.

 

[PinkZinnia]

If its called target Canada, I would think it would be another company with the "mother" name of target..so if they file bankruptcy or whatever it is in Canada, then technically target USA shouldn't be effected on paper.. Does anyone know if that is correct or not?

I know when I did other type of work, every big project was given its own legal name so that there would never be any liability to the main company should something financially happen to the subsidiaries

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

I think it's called target Canada according to the press release.

 

[PinkZinnia]

From spot press release:
Target Canada currently has 133 stores across the country and employs approximately 17,600 people. To ensure fair treatment of Target Canada employees, Target Corporation is seeking the Court’s approval to voluntarily make cash contributions of C$70 million (approximately US$59 million) into an Employee Trust. Upon approval by the Court, the proposed trust would provide that nearly all Target Canada-based employees receive a minimum of 16 weeks of compensation, including wages and benefits coverage for employees who are not required for the full wind-down period. Target Canada stores will remain open during the liquidation process.

Someone do the math for me.. I did it quickly and it seems like it comes out to about 3352.00 US money per person.. Over 16 weeks it comes to 209.00 us money per person per week.

Will they be able to get unemployment after that.. I don't know how Canadian laws work.

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

Someone do the math for me.. I did it quickly and it seems like it comes out to about 3352.00 US money per person.. Over 16 weeks it comes to 209.00 us money per person per week.

Will they be able to get unemployment after that.. I don't know how Canadian laws work.

@CanuckTM, can you help us here, please.

 

[PullMeBackIn]

If its called target Canada, I would think it would be another company with the "mother" name of target..so if they file bankruptcy or whatever it is in Canada, then technically target USA shouldn't be effected on paper.. Does anyone know if that is correct or not?

I know when I did other type of work, every big project was given its own legal name so that there would never be any liability to the main company should something financially happen to the subsidiaries

It's not about the naming so much as it's about the business structure. What they likely did was make Target Canada a wholly owned subsidiary whereby Target Canada is it's own corporation where all the shares are owned by the parent company. That way when the company goes belly up, creditors can't reach in and pierce the corporate veil to go after assets of the shareholders (in this case, the main company).

 

[Retail Girl]

The thing I learned from my parents long ago is that pulling out doesn't matter if you do it too late.

This, folks, says everything about the topic that you will ever need to know!

 

[PinkZinnia]

It sort of sounds like what they are "giving" is somewhat equivalent to last year when they gave part time usa employees 500.00 because they were no longer offering health insurance to part time team members.

 

[Bosch]

If its called target Canada, I would think it would be another company with the "mother" name of target..so if they file bankruptcy or whatever it is in Canada, then technically target USA shouldn't be effected on paper.. Does anyone know if that is correct or not?

I know when I did other type of work, every big project was given its own legal name so that there would never be any liability to the main company should something financially happen to the subsidiaries

Yes Target US and Target Canada are two separate companies under a single umbrella, just like Ford US and Ford Canada are different. For all this talk of us bleeding money down here in the US, we really didn't lose anything, Canada lost their ass and mothership was tired of paying for it. But it is a great excuse to cut US stores to the bone.

I need to do some digging but that trust fund may be dictated by Canadian law.. But I do not know for sure..

As far as opening so many stores at one time, it made sense since they had to build a new supply chain, you can't just have a DC on the US side and drive stuff across. But how they went about it, was uneducated and frankly foolish. They had no clue that different provinces had different needs, and handicapped Canadian stores with lack of tools and using a completely different system than the US stores. So even when US TM's were sent up north to help, they were just as dumbfounded as the Canadians cause they had no clue how the system worked.

 

[CanuckTM]

@CanuckTM, can you help us here, please.

I haven't been unemployed before (and am not a citizen, so things may be different for me), but my understanding is that generally team members who've paid their taxes will be eligible for unemployment insurance as we were made unemployed through no fault of our own (but anyone who just stops going to work now and gets fired for attendance will not be eligible as they would be dismissed for misconduct). As regards the maths, with a minimum wage (in BC) of $10.50, that comes to average of 23 hours/week/TM which sounds within bounds of reason for the full time/part time balance.

 

[RedDog]

We closed more US stores this year than I have ever seen before. I have a feeling that the new powers are going to cut many more in the up coming year. The old regime was all about cutting hours the new seems to be more about cutting entire stores.

 

[BigEyedPhish]

I haven't been unemployed before (and am not a citizen, so things may be different for me), but my understanding is that generally team members who've paid their taxes will be eligible for unemployment insurance as we were made unemployed through no fault of our own (but anyone who just stops going to work now and gets fired for attendance will not be eligible as they would be dismissed for misconduct). As regards the maths, with a minimum wage (in BC) of $10.50, that comes to average of 23 hours/week/TM which sounds within bounds of reason for the full time/part time balance.

Have they offered any transfer opportunities for TLs/ETLs?

 

[redeye58]

CanuckTM, I'm so sorry for you & all the other Canadian TMs.
Down here many of us are used to getting kicked in the teeth by spot.
Just didn't think they'd do it on such a large scale but then again, there are 500 new hires who just got their job offers rescinded.

 

[CanuckTM]

Have they offered any transfer opportunities for TLs/ETLs?

No (with the caveat that at this point, all my store leadership is Canadian (or at least, only-connected-to-Canada). We used to have an American STL who was transferred from US Spot, I have no idea what situation is for people like him and whether they'll be offered to go back). TLs at this point (at least at my store) know only what's on Source or in the news, STL had a conference call at lunchtime, whatever was discussed in there and whether he shared with ETLs is unknown.

I live with TLs, one of them just looked over my shoulder at that suggestion and laughed But did point out what I didn't know, that everyone from DTL and above is a transfer from the US, and he expects they'll be transferred back.

 

[Bosch]

We closed more US stores this year than I have ever seen before. I have a feeling that the new powers are going to cut many more in the up coming year. The old regime was all about cutting hours the new seems to be more about cutting entire stores.

I have a feeling their first order is cutting all the fat off the bone then see what they have got.. They are trying to stop the bleeding, then hopefully they should dig in and work on building the brand back to what made it great. Cause right now its stagnant and that is never a good, in fact its first sign of a downfall.

 

[command3r]

sigh

Team members will suffer for this, more cost cutting and hitting us in the pocket to make up for these bone headed decisions.

 

[monkeyman90]

Best decision ever. Now let's shut down target India and bring the call center jobs to America

idk what gods i prayed to but last two times i got the american version. i had some hand held scanners that need repair, and call. ok, this isn't csc, its drc. try to access it again when i tried ages ago.. can't find it. called again. they remote in, add in. see its a cable, oh that's orderable off sap. do you have sap access? yes. ok log in. this is the item number.

indian support would have no idea what a hand held scanner is let a lone help me. our power went out and we blew a system. it took 4 days before we got a working area of the store. indian support needed to make sure it wasn't any cable and have a lod spend time trouble shooting, going on the roof etc.

 

[monkeyman90]

sigh

Team members will suffer for this, more cost cutting and hitting us in the pocket to make up for these bone headed decisions.

more like we don't have to subsidize a billion dollar mistake.

 

[Rock Lobster]

I am going to point out that I have been involved in a few store opens in the US over the last decade and have never seen one go "well" by any real standard. Most are quite a cluster and leave problems that take future leaders years to fix (people and process).

I can't say I am surprised by this news. If we do not even have single US store opens down pat what made us think we could open up an entire foreign country worth?

 

[Guest]

That sucks for the employees at the Canadian Target stores. They got screwed big time. They're just minions or pawns in a shitty game that's rigged against them.

I'm sure former employees of Zellers are saying "I told you so" right now.

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

That sucks for the employees at the Canadian Target stores. They got screwed big time. They're just minions or pawns in a shitty game that's rigged against them.

I'm sure former employees of Zellers are saying "I told you so" right now.

The managers at zellers got replaced by US spot mgt.

 

[Bosch]

The managers at zellers got replaced by US spot mgt.

Yes they did cause they were union.

 

[BoxCutter]

I'm a Canadian flow team lead and all I can say is although we thought we could do it, too little hours and too little stock, on top of having some of the lowest wages (at least in my part of the country). We shouldn't have had a lot of hope, but we all feel like we've been kicked in the face. Everyone I have come to love is now going to be out of job.
Good luck target but if you can't make it here good luck lasting there. My hope is the American target understand that staff is what makes them different if you don't appreciate the team members, they won't appreciate the guest... No matter how many VIBE cards you fill out.

Can I get an AAAAAAMEN?!!!

 

[StackerMistress]

I'm genuinely curious if Spot ever has plans to venture into Mexico. Sounds like Wally World does all right there.