Target To Lay Off Thousands Of Zellers Employees

[MHz]

I thought you indicated it would be a job that was easy to replace, my mistrake.

How many Target stores have you been to?

The customer base is the same and the quality will be the same or cheaper.

 

[CDNBear]

How many target stores have you been to?

Half a dozen in the States. I'd place it on par with WalMart for product, price and cleanliness. Slightly higher on customer service.

From my experiences during my last few visits to Zellers, no one currently employed at their Newmarket stores are qualified to work for Target.

 

[Nuggler]

Target bought Zellers some time ago. Zellers is in the position it is because it cannot compete with department stores like Wal-Mart. While we can blame Wal-Mart for killing a Canadian Department store, the truth really lies in how Zellers has conducted itself over the last 30 years and that is what led to its demise.

Zellers has neither modernized itself or stepped up to the challenge of competition. While they proclaimed that "The Lowest Price is The Law!" the fact is that their stores were often disorganized, sometimes even dirty and they treated their employees like crap. (Not that Wal-Mart treats its employess any better).

The writing has been on the wall for Zellers for quite some time. The jobs that will be saved by the Target purchase is far better than what was inevitable (bankruptcy).

If you don't like how these stores treat their employees your best form of protest is to shop elsewhere instead of demanding that foreign entities protect Canadian Interests. In other words, don't buy their sh!t and tell others not to buy their sh!t.

I hear a lot a folks whining about foreign entities whilst grabbing a Television made in China or a car built in Mexico.

Right on, RCS...........PLUS. The Zellers employees I have talked to (I used to work there part time 30 years ago) said that there's a good chance they will be offered jobs by Target. No guarantee, but a good chance.

After the local store closes, it will be closed for about a year, I'm told, while Target completely changes things.

Zellers is still in the beginning of the 20th C. in retailing. It would almost appear as if they want to take the money and run.

Also, not too many people have done really really well working in a retail store. It's what one would expect.

 

[talloola]

Our zellers store is a dump, and no one has lifted a finger to improve anything in the store for a long
time.

I have not found any of the employees rude or inefficient though, and I do feel for them, especially the
ones who have given many years of loyal and good employment to zellers, and hopefully those employees
will be hired by target and can continue on, BUT they will probably lose any benefits they have earned
over the years and will have to start over, probably with no benefits at all, and I do think that is one reason target is making sure to fire 'all' employees, as they can hire some of
them back, as 'new' employees with no seniority at all, and 'not' give them full time, which allows
them to 'not' give them any benefits.

For quite a while now, the employees have been working, knowing the end is coming, no hope for anything,
which automatically strips them of good energy, as they are just 'lame' duck employees, so how can they
feel any good energy at all, and i'm sure most of them have been job hunting for some time.

 

[damngrumpy]

Let us put this into perspective. When a company comes in, in many fields and takes
over, there are usually substantial layoffs. I had it happen to me in radio a couple of
times. When TD or Scotia Banks, take over small regional banks in the US there are
layoffs.
Besides, many of these layoffs my be temporary. Target is going to issue layoffs and
allow employees to reapply and if they meet the job entrants conditions they could
get a job with Target. There is nothing unusual happening here.

 

[karrie]

I thought you indicated it would be a job that was easy to replace, my mistrake.

How many Target stores have you been to?

The customer base is the same and the quality will be the same or cheaper.

The discussion is about whether or not they should HAVE to hire the work force or not, not about qualty, etc.

I don't think they should be compelled to hire the work force of Zellers, for the reasons listed. End of story.

 

[taxslave]

Why is Zellers a failed model? Is it because of the advantages given to WalMart by short sighted municipalities and the failure to protect workers?

There are many features about WalMart that have been translated into the Canadian scene that have given them an unfair advantage over Zellers and others and there presence has not been a blessing.

In the US, the federal government pays more than $2.5 billion annually in welfare to employees of WalMart: making up for r remuneration that is, for many employees, less than subsistence.

It has been estimated that a Municipality that allows a WalMart receives one third less in taxes than it had from the businesses lost. Manufacturing is lost and jobs with it. Other corporations are forced to lower their employee wages in order to compete - remember Loblaws reducing wages by $4 per hour.

The whole WalMart concept is am abomination not an example of free enterprise. It is raw power with the collusion of government.

DO explain why so many faithful union members shop at Walmart. Is it because they are too low paid to shop at an independent store? Or are they only concerned about their own well being?
Fact is retail has never paid well and Wallywirld pays better and has more benefits than most independent stores.

As I unerstand it target did not buy any of Zellers assets, only took over the leases in a bunch of stores that Zellers was going to close. Therefore it is a lie to say that Target is laying off Zellers employees.

 

[petros]

As I unerstand it target did not buy any of Zellers assets, only took over the leases in a bunch of stores that Zellers was going to close. Therefore it is a lie to say that Target is laying off Zellers employees.

And if you are really paying close attention Zellers stores where leases weren't sold will reamin open as Zellers.

 

[Cabbagesandking]

We have two Zellers in our city. One will become a Target. The other is a location that Target sold to Walmart, so it is closing in June, and will become a Walmart. Because it is closing, everythign is on sale, including shelving, fixtures, etc. I did a little comparison. At the other end of the mall is a 'No Frills' store (part of the Loblaws/SuperStore family).

I compared peanut butter, shampoo, swiffers, and a few other groceries. Same brand, same size package. With 10% off for closing, the peanut butter (1kg) was $0.10 cheaper. Everything else, even with the 10 to 30% off due to closing, was more expensive at Zellers. Compared to the store at the other end of a small mall.

Obviously, Zellers' business model does not work, hence its demise.



Well, no, they're ALL being let go. That's what happens when a business is sold and transformed, often everyone is let go, and they start from scratch. Employees of the former iteration usually have a first chance at the new jobs, but management is under no obligation to hire them all.

The prices are set by the liquidator. It has nothing to do with Zeller's policy.

I wonder where all the hate for Zellers comes from. There are four Zellers within a few miles of me and I find none of the complaints that are being made here. Staff id also good without the obviously forced - even embarrassing - greeting and attention of WalMart. Iy has fallen back in the last few years, like most retail, as they reduce staff and pile the aisles high to compete with the WalMart concept of cheap goods and cheap service.

 

[BruSan]

Let us put this into perspective. When a company comes in, in many fields and takes
over, there are usually substantial layoffs. I had it happen to me in radio a couple of
times. When TD or Scotia Banks, take over small regional banks in the US there are
layoffs.
Besides, many of these layoffs my be temporary. Target is going to issue layoffs and
allow employees to reapply and if they meet the job entrants conditions they could
get a job with Target. There is nothing unusual happening here.

This!

Unless you've been living under a rock for the last 20 or even 30 years; everyone reading and typing here has known or fealt the realities of exactly what this thread describes.

Where's this "deer in the headlights" attitude on the part of those on this thread or those employees of Zeller's even partially justified?

We have all understood since the very dawn of "Free Trade" discussions that there would be far reaching negative implications to ALL of us.

Schools have been preaching the mantra of "don't expect a lifetime job", "further your education as an investment in your future", "specialize in those fields of technology" . Good grief, were all who are dismayed cutting every class and missed all this table talk.

You'd have to have been a mushroom to have missed all the clues dumped on your shoulders over the last 20 years that perhaps dropping out of high school and working in a retail store wasn't the best idea.

We make choices; these grasshoppers chose badly! Your sympathy is misplaced!

 

[Liberalman]

Don't blame the foreigners who come here with their money. Blame the Canadians that do not want to invest.

 

[karrie]

Or blame the companies that think nationalism alone should guarantee them a customer base. Telling me you sell Canadian product, putting maple leaves all over your store, does not make me into a happy customer when the service sucks, the store is gross, and the product turns out to be crappy quality no matter where it's made.

 

[MHz]

Products that come from the Bay and Sears (tools) are much higher quality, you pay for that quality also. There can't be that much difference in the quality of the store as all go by the same 'standards'. If the washrooms are cleaner in Sears then perhaps that is due to lack of use and a different cleaning company.

I usually already know where I'm going when I go shopping. I go to the bathroom before I leave and I'm back before I have to go again. If I make a list I don't even go down every isle, if I don't have a list then it is worth taking some time to 'wander around'. It's my own fault if I can't find Alfredo sauce in the spice isle because it is with the pasta 3 isles away. If the staff changes that before my next visit it is their fault, if I forget then I hope by the 5th time I'm up to speed on where it is located.

I know some people that aren't happy no matter where you take them. Just sayin ......

 

[B00Mer]

Big Lots also bought out Liquidation World in Canada.. another US entity I hope pushes their way into the Canadian Market..

Sorta like a Dollar Store on steroids.

BigLots.com - Hot Deals and Weekly Specials on National Name Brands

I think it will be better for the Canadian economy when US chain stores such as Target and BigLots set anchor in Canada, and people see they do not need to run to the USA every weekend.. because the USA is coming to them with great deals and local competition.

Keeping Canadian money in Canada to support our economy..

..

 

[MHz]

Keeping it Canadian would be something like Habitat for Humanity and have them be 'gifted' materials that are removed from places that are being demolished. It saves on landfills and even those places are done by dumpster these days so further sorting could be done that ends up in a 'product' that would be cheaper than Target (but different enough to not be a direct competitor to anybody. and theses stores you drive your vehicle down the isles just so you get the scale. In theory once you get so big material leaving will equal material coming in.
Gamma radiation would make all the products sterile as far as bacteria and viruses and the best workers would be the homeless as the small wage they would get would help their current condition. The more affluent would skip that part and go to the part nearest the check-out where you pay slightly more.

Some of the more expensive store might even eliminate the walk-in customer. set up a website and a member can shop from there and go to the checkout and the goods are already in the exit containers done by low paid staff in the warehouse or by robotics that cost more at the start but end up being the cheapest by far. As long as the robots were Canadian made that helps 10 people when direct employment helps 100 but thefts double the price. I could handle getting my grocery list done like that, right down to two prices on veggies and meat based on the expiry date, fresh or cheap.

You still need a population that is working or the whole town is unemployed and prices magically match income just like in the company town of old. At least there is less visible coal dust in the air.


If can do with Target style store in the future why weren't they around in the past offering the same low prices? Is that part of the prices match income thing even that far back?

 

[taxslave]

And if you are really paying close attention Zellers stores where leases weren't sold will reamin open as Zellers.

But facts always get in the way of rhetoric.

 

[TenPenny]

The prices are set by the liquidator. It has nothing to do with Zeller's policy.

Really? The liquidator sets the normal sell prices for Zellers? That's pretty neat, I wonder how that works. Do they use a time machine? Especially since there isn't any liquidator involved.

So, let's see if I follow this. A liquidator, who isn't on site, and has nothing to do with the store, magically sets Zellers' prices, so that when Zellers lists things at 10 to 20% off normal sell price, they're still higher than a No Frills store regualr price. That's really amazing. It's even more amazing that they can set these same prices at the store across town that isn't closing.

 

[JLM]

Has Huff Post suddenly become reputable? :lol:

 

[MHz]

Isn't liquidation items insurance losses and items that are out of date and sold at auction, the business version of a garage sale.

 

[Cabbagesandking]

It is a liquidation procedure and the discounting is normal in that practise. And, I spoke, a coiuple of weeks ago, to the manager of one that is closing in five weeks about that.

Why certain items are more expensive than No Frills does not really matter in that respect. They were even more expensive in the past. But, then, Zellers was also cheaper in some things, too. It has always been cheaper than WalMart in many items but the hype of WalMart has been overpowering.

It is intersting that WalMart had to pull out of Germany because the big German chains were too much for it. And, more imorantly, government did not fall over itself in giving WalMart inducements and allowing it to flout labour practises.