On January 15, 2015, Target Canada filed for bankruptcy protection after trying and failing to expand into Canada. It lost $7 billion, tainted its reputation and put 17,600 people out of work. Target is well-known in the retail world for being a very effective operator. But this was a rare blunder from Target.
A big mistake that they made was picking a very complicated, new software for their Canadian operations instead of using the home-grown system used in the US. This new software had all the latest bells and whistles and was supposed to allow Target to manage their stores, warehouse and inventory in a more effective way.
But managing stores, warehouse and inventory using the same software also meant that it had a very complex installation and setup process that takes several years. This is where they made the next big mistake.
They tried to rush through the software setup. What normally takes five years, Target tried to do in two. The result was that opening day was a big mess. Shelves were under-stocked, checkout machines were not working and the system was ordering the wrong products from suppliers.
Target tried to fix these problems over the next two years but it just never worked right. Target finally gave up and pulled out of Canada.
Picking software can be a dangerous move and can take down even a giant like Target. You can avoid this kind of risk with RewardCamp. It is easy to setup.
We provide you with advice on the best way to setup your loyalty program (worth hundreds of dollars). We help you to test it. And once it’s running, you can set-it and forget-it!
RewardCamp will work behind the scenes to increase your customer loyalty and make you money. Sign up for a free trial of RewardCamp and make more money.