Newfoundland shoppers first in Canada to see Target liquidation deals
Target stores in Newfoundland and Labrador were the first to open their doors to customers eager to get on some deals as liquidation sales began today across Canada.
Dozens of shoppers were seen waiting outside of the store in St. John's Thursday morning waiting to get in on the action. Ever since Target announced it would closed in January, customers had anxiously been waiting for the liquidation deals to start.
One shopper, Kayla Cole, was there with her 17-month-old son, looking for deals on toys.
"I've come to see what's on sale, how much is actually off," she said.
"There's been some rumours, whether it's going to be 10 per cent, or if some items might be marked down more than others."
CBC's Vik Adhopia was at the Target opening in St. John's on Thursday, and tweeted pictures of people coming and going, many of whom seemed to be leaving the store empty handed.
The closure of 133 Target stores across Canada will result in about 18,000 workers being laid off.
As well, some local businesses in Newfoundland and Labrador, including coffee company Jumping Bean, are still owed money by the troubled retailer.
The retail chain's short-lived run in Canada is coming to an end, following an announcement in January that sluggish sales had plagued the company since it launched in Canada in 2013. It's estimated that Target lost almost $1-billion in the first year they were open.
While nationally, Target's sales were not performing well, the store in St. John's was actually among the top five performers in the country.
"We weren't the problem," said one staff member.
There were 130 year-round employees at the St. John's location, seven of which were disabled, which is a demographic that the chain had a reputation for hiring.
An off site job fair was set up for employees on Wednesday, and 14 companies showed up and offered them work.
The only other Target in Newfoundland, the store in Corner Brook, had between 80 - 100 employees.