If you’re in the mood for a road trip, why not do a little cross-border shopping? With so many American retailers opening locations here in Canada, it can seem pointless to drive two hours just to spend your hard earned cash. However, there are still some stores that us Canadians don’t have the luxury to shop when at home.

Here are 6 American stores worth crossing the border for!

Trader Joe’s

In case you’ve been living under a Canadian rock, allow me to introduce you to Trader Joe’s. This grocery chain is known for its own delicious brand of foods and not only that, but the prices are right, too. Whether you’re looking for actually really good frozen foods, seasonings, organic produce, addictive snacks, and more, TJ’s has you covered.

Target

Now I know that Target used to have a home here in Canada, but let’s be real: we all miss it. From its stylish yet affordable clothes and shoes, to activewear and jewellery, Target had it all. Not to mention you could also do your grocery shopping, stock up on home goods, and electronics.

Ulta

Even though there are rumours swirling that beauty superstore Ulta will be coming to Canada, I still look forward to shopping when I’m in the U.S. Not only can you find more obscure drugstore brands and the brands we all know and love, but it’s the only bricks and mortar store where you can find Kylie Cosmetics.

Sur La Table

Attention all foodies and kitchenware addicts. Sur La Table needs to be on your radar if you have a kitchen, and love shopping for it. While you can shop online if you’re shipping within the United States, there are some actual stores that aren’t too far of a drive away. It’s here that you’ll be able to find everything and anything you could ever want for your kitchen including dinnerware, cutlery, glassware, bakeware, and more.

Primark

A U.K. staple, Primark opened its doors in the U.S. a few years back and ever since, us Canadians have been mighty jealous. The store is known for it’s wicked affordable apparel, shoes, accessories, cosmetics, jewellery, and even skincare. Right now the closest stores are in New York and Boston, but here’s hoping the chain will cross the border into Canada soon!

Neiman Marcus

While we aren’t without our fair share of luxury retailers and department stores here in Canada, one American store we’re missing is Neiman Marcus. Shop all the latest from your fave designers including shoes, apparel, beauty, accessories, and more. Not down to pay designer prices? Neiman Marcus also has a great selection from contemporary brands like FRAME, Vince, Alice + Olivia, and Jonathan Simkhai to name a few.

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Over the past few years, the list of American retailers setting up shop in Canada has grown exponentially with the likes of stores like Saks Fifth Avenue and Nordstrom. And while some people like to complain about an oversaturated market, is it really that upsetting? I personally don’t have anything against a wider selection of off-price designer handbags or cosmetics. In fact, some of our favourite American stores aren’t even here yet and therefore need to come (soon)!

Take a look at the top American retailers we want to see open in Canada asap – fingers crossed.

Burlington Coat Factory

Instagram/ @burlingtonstyle

Before you exclaim that Canada doesn’t need another department store, I beg to differ. Burlington Coat Factory is one of the largest off-price department stores in the states and has everything from cheap steals, all the way up to big name designer duds. While the name suggests the brand only specializes in coats, on the contrary, they literally have any type of clothing under the sun for women, men, kids, and babies, as well as an entire home section.

Trader Joe’s

Instagram/ @beautyandthebenchpress

If you haven’t heard of Trader Joe’s, get excited! The American grocery store has a cult following, operating on much of the same principles as Loblaws with their own set of signature food offerings. The big difference? Trader Joe’s has incredibly low prices and can be placed into the budget-friendly category. Check out a list of some of the delicious food items people swear you should always buy at Trader Joe’s here and pray that they come to Canada soon.

Target

Instagram/ @targetstyle

Okay, while Target’s reputation may have been a bit tainted from their first flop into the Canadian market, I strongly believe in second chances. Visit any Target store in the states and you won’t be disappointed by their trendy department store items and Walmart-esque prices. Not to mention they were the only other brand (outside of H&M) that did affordable designer collaborations in Canada. Please come back with a better distribution system!

Ulta

Instagram/ @ultabeauty

The fact that we do not yet have Ulta stores in Canada is literally insane to me – we are missing out on so much. Think of basically every drugstore chain in Canada, plus Sephora, plus The Bay and you get Ulta. The cosmetic department store has every brand imaginable from the uber-affordable like E.L.F. and Wet n’ Wild, all the way up to the cult classics like Kylie Cosmetics and Anastasia Beverly Hills. Plus, what sets this beauty chain apart from Sephora is that every Ulta store also has their own salon.

Century 21

Instagram/ @century21stores

Century 21 is another Winners/ Marshalls equivalent we want to see come to Canada. While the off-price concept isn’t anything new, like a lot of chains in the states, it unsurprisingly has a wider selection of designer contemporary merchandise and much better prices. Essentially it’s the same-same, but different; think of it has a higher-end version of Winners, with a very similar pricing strategy.

Glossier

Instagram/ @livewyld_designs

While Glossier might not be a massive conglomerate like Ulta or Century 21, the beauty brand grew a cult following overnight. Housing a whole range of innovative skincare and makeup products with names like Cloud Paint and Wowder, you can assume that the only two brick-and-mortar stores in New York and Los Angeles are just as dreamy with their modern architecture and aesthetics. Not to mention, Glossier has already had one pop-up in Toronto meaning a Canadian store might as well be on the way. Only time will tell!

Featured image: Instagram/ @livewyld_designs

Just when Burberry was about to bring back the check plaid wool scarves that put them on the world map, big-box retailer Target started selling scarves with the same pattern at a fraction of the price. The British heritage fashion brand filed a suit last week in New York, accusing Target of “repeated, willful, and egregious misappropriation” of their famous trademark.

According to the lawsuit, Target’s copycat scarves are of inferior quality, but are visually indistinguishable from the genuine Burberry product. Burberry’s suit notes that “Target’s misuse of the Burberry Check Trademark…has significantly injured Burberry’s hard-earned reputation and goodwill, and has diluted the distinctiveness.”

A post shared by Burberry (@burberry) on Apr 5, 2018 at 10:59am PDT

This is not the first time that Target has tried to rip off Burberry’s plaid pattern. In 2017, Target sold products such as luggage, water bottles, and eyeglasses with the same pattern and Burberry sent them a cease-and-desist letter. Burberry has also had to sue J.C. Penney when they tried to use the pattern.

While fashion brands frequently copycat other brand’s designs, this is an unusual case as Burberry owns the trademark of the check pattern. Even though American copyright laws do not protect fashion, Burberry also has a trade dress with the pattern. This means their design is seen as so recognizable that any shopper would associate it with the Burberry name. Over time, the brand became associated with the British upper class.

A post shared by Burberry (@burberry) on Mar 20, 2018 at 9:57am PDT

The iconic brand started in the 1920s selling their famous water-resistant trench coats lined in the check pattern. Resembling the Scottish tartan design, Burberry trademarked the check design in 1921. Starting 1967, Burberry used the design in their scarves and umbrellas. In the 1990s era of logomania, the company used the check pattern in all their items, and by the 2000s, sold licenses to others to manufacture the pattern.

Even though fashion brands constantly sue each other over copyright infringement, it makes sense that Burberry is aggressively coming after Target now, as the fashion brand is starting to cash in once again on the pattern following a decade of using it in moderation. The pattern was so overused, it fell out of favour, and was only used in 10% of its products. With 1990s fashion making a comeback, Burberry reintroduced the classic pattern in 2017 in its fall ready-to-wear coats, vests, pants, and shoes.

Source: Racked.com
Featured Image: Instagram/@burberry

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It’s been over three years since Target announced they would be closing Canadian stores and there are many people who are still wondering, “what the heck happened?”

Joe Castaldo delved deeper into the story of what really happened to Target for Canadian Business and revealed that problems started long before Target Canada even launched.

From the outside, it looked like Target had it easy — Canadian consumers highly anticipated the opening and finding locations was made easy with Zellers’ departure. Unfortunately, the hype and ease of finding locations ended up being their biggest pitfalls. A month prior to opening doors in March 2013, the company had difficulties understanding new technologies meant to manage inventory and sales, and even bigger issues moving product from distribution centres to stores, a problem that would follow them until their last day. While a team of 750 head office Target employees worked on the Canadian launch, no one had the guts to man up and say, “this is a disaster.”

Castaldo interviewed a number of employees for the piece, narrowing down exactly what went wrong. Long story short, Target expanded too quickly. The company knew they had issues with inventory before they even launched, but with so many stores leased, the Minneapolis company was under a lot of pressure to get them filled and make them profitable. Over 17,000 Target Canada employees were trained too quickly on systems and technologies head office didn’t even understand and young merchandising assistants weren’t able to implement rigid inventory schedules. However, even after losing $941 million in their first year, the company was still optimistic about the venture.

Target Canada revised their strategy, overstocking ‘busy’ stores and under stocking everything in between. They even issued an apology to Canadian customers promising to improve, though they still faced major issues with understanding inventory flow. By December and January 2015, in-store employees saw improvements but were let down when Target Canada filed for bankruptcy protection on January 15, 2015. The company had spent $7 billion dollars on their expansion and estimated they would not see profit until 2021.

While you may think you know the whole Target story, there is so much more behind it. Joe Castaldo perfectly captures Target Canada’s rise and fall in his detailed piece for Canadian Business.

If you’re interested in learning more, head to Canadian Business to learn what really happened to Target Canada.

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Since the demise of Target in Canada, it’s obvious that the retail landscape here is a bit tricky to navigate for US brands (let alone for struggling Canadian retailers). The difficulty lies in creating unique retail experiences, understanding the customer and entering the market with ease (a la Nordstrom).

Canadian shoppers are hungry for popular American brands with store experiences and product selections that would save us from making shopping trips across the border. From beauty to apparel to food, keep reading for the top five retailers we want to open in Canada (like right now).

ULTA Beauty

Every Canadian beauty lover craves the HUGE selection of cosmetics, skincare and haircare brands available at ULTA Beauty stores. As Canadians, if we have to watch another YouTube beauty vlogger dump out a shopping bag full of ULTA products that we can’t purchase here, we may just scream! Luckily we can shop the beauty mecca online, but ULTA Beauty stores need to come to Canada ASAP. 

Image: Cristina Avila

Lane Bryant

Every curvy girl will tell you that the selection of plus size apparel brands in Canada is few and far between. Lane Bryant’s selection of plus size fashions for women (sizes 14 to 28,) is desperately needed in Canada! Not only do we admire Lane Bryant for her amazing fit, but the selection of trendy ladies apparel from activewear to intimidates surpasses the selection Canadians are used to. But until (and if,) it opens in Canada, you can shop the beloved retailer online. 

Eataly

You don’t know Eataly until you’ve experienced it. Period. This retailer/restaurant is a mecca for Italian cuisine, offering an indescribable experience for the senses. Venture throughout an Eataly location to pick up fresh produce in one corner and a sit down gourmet meal in another. Wine? Dessert? Pots and Pans? Eataly has it all. Fortunately, this restaurant/retailer is confirmed to be opening in Toronto in 2019 and we can’t wait!

Inside Eataly (Image: Cristina Avila)

Trader Joe’s

Trader Joe’s is like no other grocery store experience (they had us at the tiki displays and Hawaiian shirts). Canadians long to experience the joy that is walking into a Trader Joe’s store to discover new, bizarre (but genius,) products that are tempting AF with catchy names and packaging. Please Trader Joe’s, on behalf of all Canadians, set-up shop here so that we can enjoy your unique products too!

Dylan’s Candy Bar

Canadians are craving a trip to Dylan’s Candy Bar, literally. A Dylan’s Candy Bar experience is like a visit to Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory with the largest selection of candy and candy-related gifts ever! Dylan’s Candy Bar is filled with every nostalgic brand of candy, candy inspired merchandise and limited edition flavours from your favourite brands.

Which retailers do you wish would open up shop in Canada? Leave a comment down below.

Featured Image: Cristina Avila 

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