Dive Brief:
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Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has announced that it will expand its Wal-Mart Canada operations, opening 11 new Supercenters this month.
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The openings bring Wal-Mart Canada’s store count to 394 stores, including 280 Supercenters and 114 discount stores.
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In addition to the new stores, the retailer has been remodeling existing stores in the country.
Dive Insight:
American retailers face challenges to establishing operations in Canada that often go under-appreciated. While things up north haven’t been rosy for Wal-Mart since it entered into Canada after the acquisition of Woolco, rival Target Corp.’s recently announced exit from Canada will only help Wal-Mart’s growth.
When looking at these two different Canadian expansion stories, it seems that Wal-Mart's slow approach to the market has won out over Target's fast attempt to enter and expand.