Canadian shoppers are increasingly unimpressed with Target Corp. (NYSE:TGT) as the U.S. big-box giant executes its rollout of 124 stores across Canada by the end of 2013, according to a new survey.
Forum Research Inc. has released a poll showing that Minneapolis-based Target's customer satisfaction rating was the worst among eight department-store chains, and that the store's satisfaction levels are dropping.
Forum found that Costco had the highest level of customer satisfaction among Canadians (62% with an average score of 3.5 out of four). Target achieved a 27% customer satisfaction score with an average score of 2.7 out of four. In the spring, Target satisfied 32% of its customers, according to Forum.
"Considering that nearly everyone who shops at Costco is satisfied with the store, they are natural leaders," said Forum president Lorne Bozinoff.
"It's interesting to see Target dropping the ball on customer satisfaction after the big entrance they made into the market."
Ten B.C. stores are now open.
Target Canada president Tony Fisher told Business in Vancouver in May that he would try to have each of his chain's stores appeal to regional tastes.
"We will have differentiated assortment of products in certain categories, especially food," he said, following a May 6 speech to the Vancouver Board of Trade.
"Think about things like steamers and rice cookers. We're overinvesting in things like that in Vancouver versus the rest of the chain."
