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merchandising

  • Our Toronto-based Canada merchant teams are now in place with their assigned category responsibilities and are conducting negotiations and line reviews with key vendors.

    Merchandise vendor interactions with merchants will vary by vendor and by category. Not all potential merchandise vendors will meet with a merchant in person, due to the large number of potential vendors and the pace of our start up. Our merchants will reach out to you should they be interested in meeting.

    Potential new merchandise vendors may contact us at NewVendorInquiry@target.com with questions.

  • Target does not endorse or encourage attendance at any for profit seminars that purport to provide insight on our business processes and practices. Please leverage communication directly from Target, as your single best source for accurate information on Target Canada Co.

  • Target has established relationships with hundreds of indirect, or non-merchandise vendors. These partnerships are managed by Target’s Indirect Spend department. Please contact the team directly at TargetCanada.IndirectSpend@target.com if you’d like to learn more.

  • Target has an ongoing expectation of confidentiality on the part of vendors, pursuant to the terms and conditions agreed to as part of the vendor set up process and any non-disclosure agreement.

    Specifically, information that is shared with you is proprietary and highly confidential. This information may only be shared with those who need to know it, and have been clearly informed to maintain the confidential status of the information. The information may not be shared with any other party.

  • Although there is no single model for merchant interactions, selecting articles and building assortments, we can offer some general guidelines:

    • Our assortment decisions are not solely based on cost. While profitability is important – and we expect the best costs available in the market – we consider brand recognition and relevance, differentiation and vendor resources and capabilities.
    • Initial category reviews for store opening have largely concluded. Our Toronto merchandising team, in partnership with our Business Partnerships and Negotiation team, will review categories and make assortment decisions throughout the year. In most cases the category review and negotiation process will follow the U.S. process: a negotiation announcement, invitation, vendor input templates, and in-person or remote events prior to actual business award. Target will initiate the process by sending the negotiation announcement. No action is required by vendors until category review timing begins.
    • Merchandising teams in Canada will have broad category responsibilities and multiple vendors. Some vendor interactions may be via e-mail, and a vendor may have to wait for a subsequent category review. All potential category vendors may not be invited to participate.
  • The Business Partnerships and Negotiation (BP&N) team is a centre of excellence for creating optimal outcomes through business partnerships, planning and negotiations. Their role is to provide expert negotiation strategies and best methods, and to act as a resource for Target merchants and their vendor partners. Their goal is to drive optimal agreements with our vendors, not just the lowest cost. Target believes every negotiation should be approached strategically.

    To do this BP&N will take a thoughtful approach and have written goals and objectives for each negotiation. Information will be shared appropriately, and all vendors will be treated with respect and integrity.

  • At Target, partnership is accomplishing together what we cannot accomplish alone. Our goal for vendor partnership is to drive profitable sales growth, while eliminating unnecessary costs and inefficiencies. We want to work with you to unlock value by driving differentiation, eliminating costs and jointly developing market strategies and business plans.

    For vendors, this means you bring your best ideas to Target, and dedicate the right resources, talent and capabilities, ahead of need. We’re looking for guest-focused strategies and decisions, and an emphasis on “sell through” to the guest instead of just “sell in” to Target. Finally, a successful business partnership is collaborative, confidential and accountable, on both sides.

  • There are three main types of negotiation events we’ll use in Canada:

    • Competitive line reviews (CLRs) – this is a face to face negotiation with multiple vendors that usually takes place over one to two days and may include a few negotiation rounds. Business is awarded at the end of the event.
    • Assortment line review (ALRs) – this is our preferred approach in Canada, and it’s a combination of in person and remote negotiations. These events take place over several days and are more flexible, allowing time for product changes, longer discussions and more thoughtful decision making.
    • Key negotiations – this is a one-on-one discussion with a single vendor, and is used most often in unique businesses or opportunities. We collaborate closely in these events to share information via a structured process, and focus on underlying interests to drive optimal outcomes.

    For each type of negotiation, our goals are the same:

    • drive an optimal agreement by negotiating strategically
    • consistently communicate our assortment goals
    • ensure efficient decision making
    • determine the market price
    • identify opportunities for partnership and mutual gain
    • provide a fair opportunity for vendors to win business
  • Every negotiation event has six common process steps that take about nine weeks to complete. Most events are supported by a negotiation leader or expert from the Business Partnership & Negotiation (BP&N) team. Each event will kick off with an invitation to each participating vendor. The process steps are:

    • Planning – this is the preparation phase for the event. Target merchants and BP&N will analyze the category, determine goals and objectives for the event, set the negotiation strategy and screen and identify potential vendors for participation. During this phase selected vendors should work to develop products relevant for store openings in Spring 2013 that drive Target’s core strategies of value, differentiation, frequency, reliability and value.
    • Invitation – the invitation is one of the most important parts of the negotiation, and vendors should read it very carefully.
      • Goals and objectives – the qualitative and quantitative details, to help vendors understand where to focus the assortment they’ll present.
      • Timing & action – the deadlines for the stages of the negotiation, including meeting time and location, sample due dates and decision deadlines.
      • Event logistics – where and how things will happen, including which meetings will be face-to-face, and what will happen remotely.
      • Event requirements – what vendors need to do to participate. For example, vendors may be asked to present an entire section if we’ll be awarding business in section increments.
      • Terms and conditions – the business requirements for participation in the category. These are very important as they outline payment terms, dating, defective policy, safety stock requirements and a host of other terms.

    Vendors should read the entire invitation carefully, ask questions and submit an accurate, complete and compelling proposal on time. Proposals are submitted via the Vendor Input Template (VIT).

    • Vendor Input Template – the VIT is the Excel form used to collect article submission information and analyze financials. The most important sections are the article description, cost and recommended retail, terms and logistical information. The VIT comes with complete instructions, and a glossary of key terms. Recommended retail price information should be collected through the vendor reviewing publicly available past or current prices in the stores of other retailers. In no event should any vendor provide Target with any confidential information about another retailer or its prices or pricing strategies.
    • Line reviews – this is when the merchant sits down with the vendor to discuss products prior to the actual negotiation event. The merchant’s goal is to ensure their goals and objectives have been clearly communicated by giving the vendor feedback on products and packaging that are presented. Vendors should come prepared to present their recommended assortment, highlight specific areas of differentiation and answer questions about their company. Vendors should make sure the merchant understands their strengths, and how they differ from their competitors.
    • Feedback and dialogue – these are the actual rounds of the event. Merchants will provide feedback to vendors on their proposals. This feedback can be delivered in person or online, and may occur in one day or over several days. The purpose is to have several opportunities to give feedback to vendors on their proposals relative to the competition, and their progress in securing placement at Target. Vendor’s should update and resubmit the VIT based on merchant feedback and respond to merchant challenges. Decisions can be made quickly as the rounds of feedback occur; it’s important to have decision-makers present or quickly available to respond to challenges.
    • Planogram and approval – Target will often build a planogram during the event, as merchants determine their assortment based on final vendor submissions. Sometimes these planograms (POGs) will be reviewed by senior management during the event.
    • Preliminary business award – Once all vendors have submitted final proposals and the scheduled rounds of feedback and dialogue have been completed, Target will communicate preliminary assortment decisions (assortment decisions and item selection may change pending final POG approval). In many events, these decisions are made and communicated at the end of the event; in others the decisions will be made a day or two later. Target will always provide feedback to every vendor, and will highlight next steps around item set up, sample drop off and POG building for vendors tentatively awarded.
  • In general, we look for vendors focused on driving the category for Target, not just selling individual articles. We want partners who think strategically, work collaboratively, deal well with ambiguity and can navigate their own organizations to get things done. There are several things vendors can do to best position themselves to win business:

    • Prepare – know and understand the merchant’s objectives. Frame your proposal in terms of what the merchant is looking for, and present an edited assortment that supports their goals and objectives. Know your category and items. In most cases, we’ll be carrying these items for an entire year, so the merchant will want to make sure they’re 100 percent comfortable with the team supporting Target.
    • Communicate your goals and objectives – there may be things Target can do to help you meet your goals and objectives. It’s important for us to understand how to improve the relationship and increase the value for both sides.
    • Have a perspective – in many cases vendors have longer tenure, more experience and better industry and category knowledge than merchants. Be a student of the business, and share your expertise within the time allotted.
    • Submit documents on time – mistakes and problems in your submission can always be corrected if time allows. Each vendor will have a limited amount of time with the merchant, and receiving submissions past the deadline delays the entire process.
    • Know your bottom line – events can be exciting, competitive and pressure filled. Make sure you know the best total package you can offer. Ensure you can live up to and execute against the commitments you make during the event.
    • Be collaborative – our goal is to increase the total value for all parties. We can only achieve that goal if we share information and have a collaborative dialogue.
    • Ask questions – for many vendors this will be the first time they’ve participated in a structured negotiation event. We want to ensure every vendor is on a level playing field, and the process and decisions are as transparent as possible. We expect questions, and are ready to answer them.
  • At Target we have high expectations of ourselves and our vendors. Specifically:

    • Be solutions-based – bring us ideas to make the business better, and when problems arise bring them to us as soon as possible with ideas for potential solutions.
    • Educate your business unit – make sure your buyer and business analyst understand anything unique about your orders like special lead times or supply chain considerations. Make it a priority to understand how Target works and how you can best work with Target.
    • Build a team with Target expertise – look for employees who have worked with Target before, if possible.
    • Visit Target stores frequently – get to know our products, merchandising and pricing strategies, and tailor your offerings to support them.
  • We are working through the details of our pricing strategy for the Canadian market, but are aware that price is a critical part of our guests shopping decision. We fully intend to have competitively priced products in Canada. Similar to the U.S., we will shop our Canadian competitors on a regular basis to ensure we are priced competitively, and able to deliver on the “Pay Less” side of our brand promise.

  • Vendors should use the currency of their shipping point for VIT completion and all financial details. Vendors shipping from the U.S. and non-Canadian ship points will use USD; vendors shipping from Canadian ship points will use CAD. Accounts Payable for Target Canada Co. will be located in Minneapolis, as part of our U.S. Accounts Payable team.

owned brands

  • In order to deliver an authentic Target brand experience for our Canadian guests, our owned brand assortment will be similar to our U.S. stores. To provide the maximum value, we will often leverage our existing Target Sourcing Services team, and our established network of vendor partners.

  • Part of Target’s distinct look and feel in the marketplace is our intentional approach to creating and executing owned brand packaging. Here’s how we approach it:

    • define – identify packaging structure based on product and planogram needs
    • develop – prototype the packaging for fit and functionality
    • execute – capture product information and submit to printers
    • refine – set product, and identify improvement to packaging for future sets

Sobeys partnership

  • Target Canada Co. and Sobeys have entered into a long-term wholesale distribution agreement. Target Canada Co. will buy and distribute all temp-controlled, non direct store delivery merchandise (primarily dairy, frozen, perishables and chocolate) through Sobeys.

    In select situations, Target will ask Sobeys to help source commodity owned brand product. In these situations, both ambient and temp-controlled products will flow through Sobeys DCs. As Target and Sobeys are also retail competitors, the arrangement incorporates firewalls to prevent the flow of confidential, competitively sensitive information between Target and Sobeys retail operations.

  • Sobeys will issue POs for both the Sobeys and Target Canada Co. accounts, and leverage their current merchandise receipt practices for Target. Though Target Canada Co. may also forecast directly with their vendors, Target will give Sobeys forecasts for both basic and promotional sales. Sobeys has agreed to service levels for Target, and should there be any vendor short ship, Target will receive its proportional allocation. Finally, Target Canada Co. will not ask Sobeys to list and distribute products not currently carried in Sobeys assortments.

  • Vendors should work directly with Target Canada’s merchant team on all national brand and Target-sourced owned brand merchandise including:

    • new item listing and proposals
    • article set up information
    • national brand item maintenance
    • vendor income
    • marketing and promotional plans

    Vendors should work with Target Canada Co. merchandise planning teams on all national brand and Target sourced owned brand merchandise including:

    • chronic store out of stocks
    • key season inventory flow planning strategies, e.g., Halloween
    • supply chain optimization opportunities, e.g., days of supply on hand at store level
    • performance review meetings and calls
    • supply or allocation issues for both Sobeys and Target Canada Co.

    Vendors should work with Sobeys on shipping updates on temp-controlled, non direct store delivery merchandise distributed by Sobeys, and any owned brand product for Target that’s sourced by Sobeys.

    Any Target Canada Co. individually negotiated programs should not be discussed with Sobeys. Target will negotiate all trade spend directly with suppliers; Sobeys will not be involved in this process and will not have access to any information on the negotiations or their outcome. Also, Sobeys’ individually negotiated programs should not be discussed with Target Canada Co. Target will not be involved in this process and will not have access to any information on the negotiations or their outcome.

    Target and Sobeys will not share any non public information about competitively sensitive topics such as retail pricing, marketing and advertising policies and strategies. Likewise, vendors should not share Sobeys information with Target Canada Co. or Target’s information with Sobeys.

merchandise vendor training

  • Each division in Merchandising is led by a divisional merchandise manager (DMM). The DMM’s counterpart is the merchandise planning (MP) director. In each division there are several senior buyers who lead teams of buyers, and MP managers who lead teams of business analysts (BAs). Together, the BA and the buyer form a business unit (BU) that is jointly responsible for a category of merchandise. Each category has a BA assigned to manage inventory in the category, their role is to put the right product in the right stores in the right quantity at the right time. BAs own the inventory side of the equation, and are empowered to make supply chain decisions, including when product should be ordered, how much to order and how it should flow through the supply chain. As a vendor you’ll want to make regular communication with your BAs a priority.

  • Target’s replenishment approach is based on a just-in-time philosophy. Our Canadian systems and processes are built to maximize the amount of product that goes on the sales floor, and minimize the amount in the back rooms.

  • To support the speed and scale of our market entry for Canada, we initiated a centralized process to collect vendor and product information. That process is largely complete, and going forward vendor and item set-up will be coordinated by our Toronto-based merchant teams. Target will be using SAP and JDA for forecasting and replenishment. To ensure purchase orders are received correctly and on time, please be punctual, accurate and complete in your responses to any requests for vendor and item setup data.

  • To support our goal of eliminating unnecessary costs and inefficiences, Target Canada Co. requires all merchandising vendor partners to use EDI. We’ve selected GXS as our third party EDI provider. This means your company, or your third party EDI provider, must be connected thru GXS to exchance EDI transactions with Target. No exceptions will be made.

  • The EDI Team will be made aware of new vendors that need to be EDI on-boarded as part of the new vendor setup process. After a vendor ID had been assigned in SAP, the propcess below will begin.

    The initial contact from Target will require completion of a short trading partner survey. From the survey, we will gain an understanding of your EDI capabilities. It’s important that someone who understands EDI and related technology complete the survey. After you complete the survey, you will receive additional communication directly from GXS about establishing connectivity and testing transaction functionality. These are all mandatory activities and you should allow enough time for complete and thorough testing.

    To ensure you receive the communication from GXS, it’s critical that you allow the GXS domain into your e-mail system, otherwise you risk the communication going to spam/junk files.

    If you have any questions during the EDI on-boarding process, email Target.Canada.EDI@target.com.

  • Target will be using the following EDI documents:

    • 850 Purchase Order
    • 860 Purchase Order Change
    • 856 Advance Ship Notice (ASN) – must use the GS1 industry standard bar code at the carton/pallet level for all shipments to our DCs
    • 810 Invoice
    • 864 Text Message (transaction error messaging)
    • 997 Functional Acknowledgement

    Vendors may also use the following documents with Target’s approval:

    • 820 Remittance Advice
    • 852 Product Activity Report - For pay by scan vendors
    • 870 Purchase Order Status - For store orders cross docked through our DCs

    Next steps for EDI on boarding are to complete the GXS EDI Survey promptly when you receive it, verify your readiness to use the GS1 bar code application for your cartons, allow enough time for testing (especially of the EDI 856 document) and complete all other activities as directed by GXS. These steps must occur before we go live and begin writing purchase orders.

  • Target measures vendor performance by focusing on four key metrics:

    • fill rate
    • on-time ship
    • EDI 856 accuracy and timing
    • adherence to carton marking and bar code requirements

    Target also focuses on continuous supply chain improvement by driving improved inbound load quality from vendors, working to reduce unsaleables, making sure floor ready standards are adhered to and providing input to business units on vendor supply chain metrics.

  • We have very high expectations of our vendors, and work continuously to help vendors meet and exceed them.

    • Partner actively with supply chain teams including business units, distribution centres and Vendor Operations.
    • Work with us to continuously drive supply chain efficiency.
    • Deliver logistical excellence by shipping complete, shipping on time, meeting EDI 856 and carton marking requirements and proactively communicating with your BUs.

marketing

  • Yes, Target has negotiated very favorable rates with two translation companies based in Montreal. Both companies have fully dedicated teams with broad retail experience. Although we encourage vendors to use these services as their translation memory of Target terms will be consistent, vendors are free to use any partner they like. Please send a request to Multi-Language@target.com, and our multi-language team will have our translation service contact you directly.

  • Our marketing objectives for 2013 will focus on communicating our “Expect More. Pay Less.®” brand promise, and achieving a differentiated store experience. Our marketing spend will be highly focused on these objectives. As a result, co-marketing opportunities will be limited to carefully selected integrations of vendor partners into larger campaigns (e.g. a grand opening campaign) as well as a few in-store opportunities. This integration makes these opportunities more valuable, but it limits the number of partners we will be able to work with. We will support a robust flyer strategy, to help establish our brand promise and showcase the breadth of our assortment. To help align our promotional emphasis with on-going merchandising strategies, merchants will be the primary point of contact for flyer opportunities. Specifics on flyer participation will be negotiated as part of the line review process, as well as throughout the year.

  • There are no all-vendor, program-wide deadlines, as we are just beginning to develop programs with a small number of vendors. Costs will be developed on a program-by-program basis, most often on a cost-per-package basis, and negotiated as part of a larger business relationship.

  • At this point we do not plan to have a Marketing Partner Fair for 2013 campaigns in Canada. We will develop co-marketing opportunities collaboratively with a small group of vendor partners. The goal is to develop programs that are relevant to the Canadian marketplace. Once we have a more informed perspective on the marketing programs that are most effective, we’ll quickly expand partnership opportunities and may decide to use a Marketing Partner Fair approach in the future.

  • Engaging guests across all channels is extremely important. While we’re not ready to announce specifics, we are carefully considering the vendor’s role in our multichannel initiatives. In general, the partnerships we develop on the brick and mortar side will extend to online, social and mobile opportunities including digital marketing.

  • Target has already begun to reach out to Canadians in social media by leveraging geo-targeted messages from our U.S. platforms. As we get closer to grand opening, this presence will evolve into a larger strategy. Our primary goal in social media will be to build affinity with guests, but we believe there will be opportunities for co-marketing and promotions over time. Specific initiatives and information on partnership opportunities will be communicated as those strategies are announced.

  • Target works very hard to create and maintain a differentiated store experience for our guests. As a result, careful screening of vendor shippers, fixtures, signing and merchandising elements is critical. In-store opportunities for vendor-provided collateral will be extremely limited and must offer a clear point of differentiation for Target, by offering creative that fits our brand equity and enhances the guest experience. Vendor collateral is strictly limited to select categories during select time frames, and requires Target’s approval well in advance. In general, we very rarely use vendor provided shippers, fixtures, signing and merchandising elements.

real estate

supply chain

  • Target has contracted with third party providers to help manage freight flow through our Canadian supply chain.

    For vendors shipping from the U.S. or Canada:

    Target has engaged a third party to manage our cross-border and domestic transportation logistics. Detailed training will be provided as we get closer to ship dates, but there will be a web portal used to request all delivery appointments at the RDCs and freight pick up at collect vendors’ factories.

    If you are a prepaid vendor, you will be responsible for delivering your merchandise to Target’s RDC on time and in full. Delivery appointments must be made online for all shipments. Instructions will be included in training.

    If you are shipping collect, you must request pick up of your freight through the web portal. Specific freight requirements, such as temperature sensitivities and required delivery dates, will be captured at that time. Once your freight is routed, carrier information will be posted online.

    For vendors outside of the U.S. or Canada:

    Target will be leveraging overseas consolidators to manage the handling of cargo in the country of origin on our behalf.

    If you are an FOB vendor, you will be responsible for delivering the PO to the port of loading or to Target’s nominated consolidation warehouse (if less than a container load).

    If you are an FCA vendor, the overseas consolidator will work with you to arrange the cargo pick-up from your factory and will deliver it to the port. These arrangements will be made upon receiving PO bookings from you.

  • Visit Canada Partners OnlineOpens a new window to view specific packaging requirements for cartons. Target has specific requirements for carton dimensions, barcode quality, pallet usage, and other characteristics. To ensure that product flows through the supply chain efficiently, all vendors are required to submit their ship carton labels and barcodes for approval prior to shipping product to Target. The approval process instructions are available on Canada Partners OnlineOpens a new window as well.

    Most of these guidelines are similar to U.S. packaging requirements. These requirements are essential to take full advantage of the technology that will speed your product through the DC.

    Additionally, our preferred delivery arrangement is drop trailers as it provides maximum flexibility for our DC teams. Live un-load appointments will be accepted on a limited basis.

  • Target will negotiate and accept both prepaid and collect freight terms with our vendors. The exact shipping terms will be determined during the negotiation event for the category when business is awarded. If you have specific concerns about shipping into Canada, please discuss these with Target during the negotiations process.

    For vendors shipping from the U.S. or Canada:

    Target will negotiate and accept both prepaid and collect freight terms with our vendors.

    For vendors outside of the U.S. or Canada:

    Target will negotiate FOB and FCA freight terms. For goods shipping from China, India, Vietnam, Cambodia, or Indonesia, FCA is the preferred freight term.

  • Formal training for vendors on shipping product to Target for store opening has been completed. Going forward, vendors awarded business should refer to Canada Partners OnlineOpens a new window for a wide range of documentation related to shipping requirements and processes.

  • For vendors shipping from the U.S. or Canada:

    Target’s preference is for prepaid vendors to be the importer of record (IOR) for their freight. For collect vendors, Target prefers to be the IOR.

    For vendors outside of the U.S. or Canada:

    In instances where Target is the IOR, Target has partnered with a third party Canada Customs broker to process customs clearance. Additional information can be found on Canada Partners OnlineOpens a new window.

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