Zellers and The Bay Bought.

[Disney Ontario]

Hi. I read in the newspaper on the weekend that the stores has been bought by an American company. Does anyone else have more information? They said that our Zellers are like Target. Oh no. I love Target and can't see a anything alike. I say, Make Zellers into Target. Right?

 

[photomama]

Yes, turning all Zellers into Target would be awesome!

 

[minnie56]

They have been purchased by Lord and Taylor--whom I LOVE!! Bout time we got a shot at a decent Dept store!!

 

[Tiger926]

Lord & Taylor as mentioned - the Bay will become more upscale as it used to be, but no changes so far for Zellers. No stores slated to close as of yet. The whole Target thing came about because the former owner of HBC, Mr. Zucker, owned Target. Zellers & the Bay will now have separate presidents again, so perhaps Zellers will be revamped, but from my reading so far, and my shopping trips to Lord & Taylor, this is where the focus is now as they are very high-end (they want to distinguish themselves away from Sears).

Tiger

 

[tlens]

Other than the toys, I find Zellers freakin expensive considering what it looks like inside.

 

[snickerboo]

I agree tlens-the kids clothes are junk and the same price as Children's Place. I only buy things there when they are on a very good sale. I would love for Target to open up here. I compare Zellers more to Kmart than Target.

 

[Tantor]

I would love to see a Target too.

 

[minnie56]

A good friend of mine works for Target head office..she told me yesterday that they are expanding into Alaska and Hawaii and if those are successful..International (ie: Canada) could very well happen next! That would be great!

 

[NikP]

Hi. I read in the newspaper on the weekend that the stores has been bought by an American company. Does anyone else have more information? They said that our Zellers are like Target. Oh no. I love Target and can't see a anything alike. I say, Make Zellers into Target. Right?

I love Target and I don't think they are alike except for some products that they both carry. Zellers is always messy and over priced. Not Target...

Target and Zellers do carry some of the same clothing lines eg: Cherokee. I will not buy this brand because it always falls apart, or I get it home to find a hole in it. I dislike shopping at Zellers and I feel I cant trust them as a retailer. For example: They do not belong to the organization for retailers that governs the scanning code of ethics. This should concern people because quite often the price listed on the shelf is not what comes up at the register. If you don't notice too bad, if you do notice, who cares- is their attitude. The retailers that belong to the Scanning code of Ethics will post this at their registers or on their entery door. eg. Walmart, Sobeys, Canadian Tire etc. So if you have a pricing error, ( the price on the register doesn't match what is on the shelf) according to the code the retailer has to give you the product for free if it is under $10, or give you the shelf price less $10 for items over $10. (Side note, I watch all the prices at Sobeys and I tend to get at least 2 items a month free.) Next time you go into a retailer, look of this little sticker by their registers.

Sorry for the rant. As you can tell I wouldn't shed a tear if they closed the whole Zellers chain.

 

[Tiger926]

I love Target and I don't think they are alike except for some products that they both carry. Zellers is always messy and over priced. Not Target...

Target and Zellers do carry some of the same clothing lines eg: Cherokee. I will not buy this brand because it always falls apart, or I get it home to find a hole in it. I dislike shopping at Zellers and I feel I cant trust them as a retailer. For example: They do not belong to the organization for retailers that governs the scanning code of ethics. This should concern people because quite often the price listed on the shelf is not what comes up at the register. If you don't notice too bad, if you do notice, who cares- is their attitude. The retailers that belong to the Scanning code of Ethics will post this at their registers or on their entery door. eg. Walmart, Sobeys, Canadian Tire etc. So if you have a pricing error, ( the price on the register doesn't match what is on the shelf) according to the code the retailer has to give you the product for free if it is under $10, or give you the shelf price less $10 for items over $10. (Side note, I watch all the prices at Sobeys and I tend to get at least 2 items a month free.) Next time you go into a retailer, look of this little sticker by their registers.

Sorry for the rant. As you can tell I wouldn't shed a tear if they closed the whole Zellers chain.

So, do you dislike Zellers solely based on scanning issues? Incidentally, there are lots of retailers who don't belong, and even for the ones who do, such as Walmart and Shoppers, I have had issues with both of those stores not understanding or not wanting to follow the scanning code. I used to work at Zellers while in university, and while it had some issues, it's nothing like Walmart. There are so many human rights issues with Walmart that we would need a whole thread to discuss. HBC has always promoted Canadian made products - you can't find hardly any in Walmart as 80% of their inventory is made in China. As for Zellers quality - their clothes really aren't good at all, but either are Sears' or Walmarts' own brands either, and much of Target's clothes are cheaply made as well. Discount department stores such as Zellers, Walmart & Target, have never been known for high quality clothing at all.

Even if we got a Target here in Canada, I don't think it would be exactly like U.S. Targets either, but it will be interesting to see what changes and improvements are coming.

Tiger

 

[minnie56]

I could not tell you the last time I even walked into a Zellers, Walmart etc...and Target, love it, but not for clothes. Have never bought anything in that dept there...I don't do that much clothes shopping here really..much of it Stateside or mail order from the U.S it seems.

 

[4everluvDisney]

Love Target....
Zellers.....not

Would love to see Target stores open up here in Ontario.

 

[Eeyoreloverforever]

At least where I live. No one here shops upscale so if they change the Bay to any more upscale than it already is, it will crumble. People here are not willing to pay for good quality. They are use to cheaply made, cheaply priced items.

And as for seeing a Target. If we could get the same products they have in the States for the same price, that would be awesome. But again, I fear, that we will just get the same type of thing you can find at Wal-Mart for around the same price as Wal-Mart.

I travel to the States and shop a few times a year and I have yet to understand why we don't have the same selection they do and the same prices.

I was just on another thread on the Budget board where they were discussing the Hannah Montana 3D glasses. They are free there, but we had to pay 50 cents each for ours!! Explain that!!

I always say everything is better in the States. If I could move there I would, but dh is a lawyer and can only practice law here without starting all over again. I know they have to pay for health care and that sucks, but honestly that is the way our system is going and for the things you don't pay for you will die before you get seen. And I don't really like that they have the right to bare arms, but at least you know that someone could be carrying a gun. Here you assume you are safe, but the reality is anyone could have a gun, just that it is illegal.

Well, that is my rant for today. Now back to your regular scheduled chats.

 

[minnie56]

Well yes--you are right.
We are almost at par..yet at places like Michaels/Chapters/Pier One where there are US Counterparts, we are still paying the higher ticket price?? The fact that Michaels now rip off the USD pricing makes me CRAZY..very degrading to our intelligence. And check the backs of cards in the card stores still, ours is still way out of whack. They say it's the cost of doing business in Canada, yet you go to most US Dept stores and the staff is in abundance. I just came home from the Bay and walked around for 10 mins looking for a salesperson? Why can Canada get away with that? Why do we put up with that?

My DD bought a top in Banana Republic last week..$90 here..$68 in the US. Just went on sale there for $49..I inquired tonight is it going on sale here?? I don't know..not yet was the reply. Mediocre service, uneven pricing and the who cares attitude send me to the US most of the time!!

 

[Tiger926]

Nothing here in Canada can be truly at par with U.S. and it shouldn't, as the costs of doing business here in Canada is significantly higher. We have trade/import issues to deal with, huge taxes to pay, government programs re: recalls, etc. that cost more than in the U.S. for example.

Remember, as well that they have 300 million people over there, and we have 32 million; therefore, competition dictates that they have lower prices, as well as the fact that they sell so much more. Manufacturers determine prices - Michael's in the U.S. sells many more stickers and papers over there then over here; therefore, the costs of those products goes down as Michael's is able to meet their profit margins. It's much harder to do that over here as there are less stores and less product being sold.

It's very basic economics - this has been discussed many times before, even if we do get Target in Canada, it won't be the U.S. version of Target, but a Canadian version, a la Michael's and Walmart. It's just too costly for manufacturers to do business here (we are one of the highest taxed countries in the world), and so they set prices accordingly. The cost of the dollar is just one small piece of what goes into the pricing of products.

Tiger

 

[minnie56]

Well that all being said, doesn't make it right does it? We already pay higher taxes coupled with 13% on top of all that, when do we get a break? If the dollar swings the other way you can bet the prices here will go UP in a New York minute! Maybe there's just a little too much greed here!

I think if Target do come here..sooner or later they will bail-sadly. Just like Marks and Spencers from the UK did.

 

[Tiger926]

Well that all being said, doesn't make it right does it? We already pay higher taxes coupled with 13% on top of all that, when do we get a break? If the dollar swings the other way you can bet the prices here will go UP in a New York minute! Maybe there's just a little too much greed here!

I think if Target do come here..sooner or later they will bail-sadly. Just like Marks and Spencers from the UK did.

It's not about right or wrong. The U.S. companies who do business here are not doing anything wrong at all. They have higher costs associated with doing business over here, and consequently, they set the prices according to those costs. If you want to get your BR shirt for the same price, then you go over there and buy it, or, move to the U.S. and have access to those prices all of the time. But remember, there are many other perks to living here in Canada, that far outweigh the price of designer clothing.

Would you rather pay $90.00 for your designer shirt here in Canada, or, $10,000 to give birth if living in the U.S? I live in a border city, so we live and breathe this everyday, so this is the context in which we normally discuss the price discrepancies on goods between Canada and U.S. Food and clothes cost more, but we have free health care and government subsidized post secondary education - it's easier to understand when thought of in this context.

Happy shopping to all, Tiger

 

[minnie56]

Okay, but doesn't it stand to reason for the viability of Canadian companies that the costs of 'doing business' here be a little less expensive? How can they compete with those of us who cross border shop if the Canadian Gov't doesn't extend a break to them as well? Hard to understand why they see us cross over for shopping and flights and other travel and do nothing about it?

 

[NikP]

So, do you dislike Zellers solely based on scanning issues?
Tiger

No. As my previous post stated, I do not like Zellers because everytime I go in there (Brantford , Ontario store.) the place is a mess. Clothing on the floor, items on shelves messy in general. The store just looks dirty. For the prices that they charge, this is not acceptable to me. I tend to go into the store to return items purchased by my mother in law. (She has very limited choices where she lives, and never seems to get the kids sizing right.) I have been hassled returning items too. I always have all the proper receipts and make sure that I am within their extremely limited exchange policy.

 

[Disney Ontario]

Hi again, being from Paris, I also go to the Brantford store. Did you see that our Zellers was once open 24 hours also, probably just to compete with Walmart. I would of like to see if they even got one customer, I guess not, they are back to regular hours now.