Target has taken aim at Richmond but only time will tell if it’s going to be a hit with shoppers.
Customer traffic through the new Target department store at Lansdowne Centre appeared to be steady as it opened its doors for the first time Wednesday morning.
Most shoppers the Richmond News spoke to as they left the store opening day Wednesday, were pleased with the selection and quality, but were not sure if the prices stacked up with Target’s bargain reputation in its stores south of the border.
A soft opening took place the night before p. m. which saw huge lineup formed by quarter to six as people waited anxiously see what all the fuss was about.
“I just came by and am pleased with what I’ve seen,” said Heather Werseen on Wednesday, adding what impressed her the most was the number of helpful staff on hand. “But I don’t imagine that will last too long.”
Werseen also enjoyed the neat, clean and tidy appearance of the store and felt the quality level of merchandise was good.
“I am used to shopping at Target in the States,” Werseen said, adding she has property in the Mt. Baker area and makes frequent trips to Palm Springs, California where she also shops. So, she’s familiar with the bargain reputation Target has with shoppers.
“I haven’t looked at a lot of prices here yet, but I bought two items – I got a lamp shade and a letter holder — and was quite pleased.”
“I found the staff were very nice, very patient. And I complemented them on that, because I’m sure it’s tough on the first day — everything is new,” said David McNaughton who travelled over the Oak Street Bridge from his home in Marpole to check out the new store.
McNaughton admitted he is also a frequent, cross-border shopper who is familiar with Target stores in the U.S., but felt it was too early for him pass judgement on the pricing in Canada.
“I’m not sure,” he said. “I haven’t really had a chance to compare the prices. But I am very interested in finding that out.”
But what he was sure of was getting a good deal on some video game equipment.
McNaughton said he snagged three Sony Playstation controllers for his son, and his friends.
“It was a really good deal. They were $15 a piece, and they’re like $55 usually.”
Margaret Townsley popped into Target and felt it was a definite improvement on the old Zellers store in everything except the prices.
“But it is higher quality at Target, you can tell,” she said.
During her shopping trip Townsley picked up stocking stuffers for Christmas, clothes for her granddaughters, and a few winter knitware items.
“I’ll be back tonight with my daughter when she finishes work. She said, ‘Mom, don’t go without me,’” she said. “But I’ve already spent $80, so that’s my quota.”
Also a keen cross-border shopper and Target fan was Seija Danielsen who has been a Richmond resident for more than 40 years and remembers when Lansdowne mall originally had Eaton’s and Woodward’s as the major department store anchors.
“I remember, ‘Dollar forty-nine day,’” she said, beginning to sing the Woodward’s store’s $1.49 Day sale jingle.
While Danielsen liked the new Target store’s wide aisles and product displays, she wasn’t too impressed by the prices, compared to the U.S. Target stores.
“It’s not like the prices on the other side of the border. The selection, though, is quite good. And I was told there will be even more — they don’t have everything in yet.”
The Richmond store was one of six in B.C. to open Wednesday. The others were in Abbotsford, Burnaby, Chiliwack, Maple Ridge, and Surrey. Another 25 were also opened across the rest of the country on the same day. By the end of November, the Minneapolis-based chain is scheduled to have 124 stores in Canada.
