Target: Canada
In 2011, after experiencing years of tremendous success in the United States,
Target announced its first international expansion into Canada. The expansionary strategies utilized by the company were quite similar to Wal-Mart’s expansion into Germany, and as a result ended with a similar, although much more swift, failure of operations. Targets timing of entry was at a point in their lifecycle where they had grown to be the second-largest discount retailer in the United States, following only Wal-Mart. This success in the U.S. led them to assume to risk of opening their first international operation. It also led them to believe they could quickly enter the market, adopting an early timing of entry.