Dive Brief:

• Target Corp. announced Thursday that it will end all Canadian operations, shuttering 133 stores which employ around 17,600 people. 
• The retailer said it will report around $5.4 billion of pre-tax losses in the fourth quarter stemming from the move. 
• Target's Canadian business has suffered for some time now, reporting $941 million in losses in 2013; $369 million in 2012; and $122 million in 2011. 

Dive Insight:

Canada has been a formidable obstacle for American retailers looking to expand their North American operations. Last October, Sears began offering shares of its Sears Canada business, while Wal-Mart still struggles to see returns from its Canadian expansion. 

Target's Canadian operations—which some observers say failed to replicate the shopping experience found in many of its U.S. stores—have been in CEO Brian Cornell's crosshairs since he first came on last year. In his very first week at the company, he flew up to Canada to learn more about the operation. 

"After a thorough review of our Canadian performance and careful consideration of the implications of all options, we were unable to find a realistic scenario that would get Target Canada to profitability until at least 2021," Cornell said in a statement announcing the end of Target's Canadian operations.