Aviator

Though we would go take a look around for any bargains and found none! Prices are marked as 40% off retail - which seems to be full retail. Walmart, Costco and Futureshop seem to be the same price as Target's discounted price. Looked at a sound system for the TV, Target tag illustrated 30% off, a $100 saving 'from retail', all sales final and any warranty has to be handled through the manufacturer.

Mobile online access, saved the day, Futureshop, with a 30 day return if needs be, $5 more than Target's 'discounted' price! Found this on everything we looked at in store.

Anyone found any genuine bargains at Target's lack lustre sale?

Piff Poff

It was the same when Zellers was going, a few things properly discounted but most things at normal prices. Hiked up then reduced.

izzi81

When we went a couple of weeks ago it was 10-30% off. Hardly worth it... We bought a few wee things but nothing 'big' as nothing was worth it.

Stinkypup

I bought some Apple stuff, charging leads, plugs Smartcover- rarely discounted anywhere, for 30% off (I checked online on my phone for other prices), some large photo frames, a Tassimo coffee maker, and a glass screen protector for my iPad- great reductions but as has been said, much of it is otherwise inflated prices- you just need to pick the right stuff and check prices on your phone in other stores/ Amazon etc when in the store

scrubbedexpat091

I am not making the trek to a store, but I was near a Zeller's when they went out and have been to other going out of business sales, and really isn't great generally price wise, the discounts are always off the full retail price.

But the main goal of the liquidation process is to maximize the amount of money to pay creditors and such, getting rid of merchandise is secondary.

What doesn't sell will end up in some sort of liquidation type store.

withabix

The only time it's a real 'Sale' is when the guy doing the selling has a gavel, or pretty much on the day the shop is actually closing, unless it is a manufacturer-driven Sale of some product they want to disappear fast (HP Touchpad, Blackberry Playbook etc).

I have had some amazing bargains in the UK that way, but here in Canada the consumer protection laws are pretty weak, meaning that every shop pretty much has everything on 'Sale' for alternate two week periods all the time. In the UK this was the business model of MFI and various kitchen retailers, all whom no longer exist.

colchar

Which is one of the reasons that they failed so spectacularly here.

scrubbedexpat133

I went to the Target here and thought that the 'Sale' was a complete joke. Like may others I had a bit of a look around but left empty handed. The really annoying thing is that Canada is crying out for more consumer choice and competition and Target had a very good opportunity to make waves in the Canadian retail market and have made a complete hash of it.

In a similar vein something that I have noticed is the price of food, produce in particular has really come down in price since Walmart started selling it in the last year or so. I was hoping that having a large player like Target here would have had a similar effect.

scrubbedexpat091

I wish Wal-Mart could sell groceries in my town (they are limited to what they can sell food wise and it's limited to junk food and frozen food, they are not zoned for grocery and agreed to not sell it when they had their permits approved since the town was going to deny their permit originally.)

Our local prices have been going up and up since January, and seem's to be no stopping, things I buy have gone up 1-2 since January, every week the prices are higher.

Less sale items on food as well.

Doesn't help 2 of the 3 grocery stores are owned by the same company. Loblaws would have a good market here if they took control over the franchised store that is a Loblaws brand, modernized it, cleaned it up and provided decent selection, but currently is a disgusting store, outdated and smells funny with prices no lower.

Our grocery bill could probably be 20-30% lower if we had Vancouver prices largely brought on by Wal-Mart there.

Oink

You should get yourself an allotment or community garden and grow your own vegetables.

BristolUK

I can't say I've noticed that. I've actually been disappointed - though not surprised - that their fresh stuff, like their normal grocery stock, is mostly more than Sobeys/Superstore.
Mushrooms and bakery things are about the only thing regularly cheaper as far as I can see.

But then I don't go that often - my mother in law does - whereas I do the other supermarkets regularly because I find them cheaper.

Pizzawheel

I wandered through Target on the weekend and it reminded me of the Zellers sale in the same location four years ago- lots of signs shouting big % savings, nothing actually cheap.

I remember as a kid when those consumer protection laws came into blighty. There was grumbling at the time but in hindsight you appreciate what it means when you go to an unregulated place, like Africa, or Canada.

Aviator

Canada has consumer protection laws. I found Canada far more liberal with returns than the UK for goods that were not defective. At one point stores took goods back without receipts. Perhaps the way retailers act is more to do with the behaviour of consumers than the retailer. Theft is high and goods try to get returned for cash, stolen cards used to purchase goods, then returned for a cash refund, the retailer loses twice, goods bought for a one time use then returned when they are not wanted anymore, new item bought, an old one put in the box and returned for refund. There are plenty of tricks consumers get up to, far worse than the complaints about retailers.

There are several laws in Canada and provincially that protect consumers. There are not local municipal offices though, like in the UK.

BristolUK

I bought a new backpack in Walmart the other day. The checkout operator checked all the zips and all the pockets to make sure everything was working properly. Wasn't that nice? A very good service I thought.

MrFloyd

At Futureshop you also play for the pleasure of being constantly lied to for the duration