Target is an US mass-market market discount store catered to shoppers seeking high quality products. In a crowded market, Target was eager to grow its business outside the US and online. It expanded to Canada in 2011 by acquiring a failed retailer. A move that seemed prudent actually saddled Target with inconveniently located stores and strained its logistics infrastructure. Closing down its Canadian stores, Target focused on strengthening its online presence. But two massive data breach incidents in 2013 and 2014 affected over 100 million of its customers and weakened Target’s sales significantly. In order to keep its market share on a par with competitors such as Walmart and Amazon, Target clearly has challenges to be met.

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Erasmus Research Institute of Management

Hoffman, A., & Gold, N. (2016). Target Corp's Tarnished Reputation: Failure in Canada and a Massive Data Breach. RSM Case Development Centre. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/1765/94061