Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - 19

be joining a whole host of well-run, best-in-class
Canadian companies that have already raised
the bar in this country, including brands such
as Aritzia, Aldo, Lululemon and others. He notes
that these retailers, do a great job of recruitment,
offer a steady stream of new designs, provide
customer service that is second to none, featuring great store design and show commitment to
good management that is sustainable.
Despite the many Canadian companies that
have already impacted the sector with their
unique brands and offering, Doucette believes
that there are many other Canadian companies
that have an opportunity to learn from the way
Target operates.
“People underestimate how well Target is run,”
he says, adding many in the industry are “blown
away” by the chain’s back end and the way it gets
product in store.
“It’s about execution and service,” Doucette says.
Paul Jacobson of Jacobson Consulting is less
convinced that Target’s entry into Canada will
significantly alter the retail landscape.
“They’ll aggressively sell their style just as
many others have,” he says. “Target will compete
but so does everyone else. They’re all always trying to improve their game.”
Jacobson points to StatsCan data which shows
that retailers across the country have planned
investments for 2013 in both construction and
machinery/equipment. If nothing else, this data
illustrates the fact that the industry is not asleep
at the switch, but rather quite responsive to the
changing industry and the challenges that these
changes represent.
Jacobson also notes that demand will still
exist for independent retailers. In fact, experts
within the industry consider this to be a time of
renaissance for the independent retailer, many
of whom are located in thriving urban and suburban neighbourhoods where residents are primarily young, professional and seeking local
shops offering specialized expertise and knowledge about a service or product.
Jacobson adds that it will take time to see the
real impact of Target and other international retailers entering the country, but in the meantime
it means two very important things for Canadians: investment and jobs.
The job market

When it comes to jobs, retail far outstrips
manufacturing in Canada and it’s likely to remain so in this current climate, according to Ja-

Attracting top talent remains a challenge for retailers of all sizes.

cobson. But will there be enough people to fill the jobs created by
everything from mall construction to warehouse operations and
management staff?
It will be a challenge, according to Rowan O’Grady, managing director, North America, at the recruiting firm Hays. He says
it’s possible to fill most frontline jobs. The challenge will be with
skilled and managerial jobs.
“There are shortages everywhere,” he says. “The expectation is
that this will push up salaries.”
Changes in the retail industry are also likely to impact on retail
as a career in Canada, something many feel is long overdue here.
Paul McElhone, executive director of the School of Retailing at
the University of Alberta, says Target offers a new opportunity for
Canadians, especially business grads.
“American retailers build relationships by forming university
partnerships. This allows them to get the best and brightest in the
workforce,” he says, adding that it offers a lesson that Canadian
retailers can learn from, and is something that schools and Retail
Council of Canada have been championing for some time.

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Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013

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