Bullseye Missed: How Bad Data Took Down Target in Canada

Target’s Inventory & Forecasting Fail in Canada (2013–2015)

When Target launched in Canada, it was expected to be a massive retail success. Instead, it turned into a case study in how bad data can lead to disastrous results — both operationally and financially.

What Went Wrong?

• Target implemented a new SAP system for inventory and supply chain but didn't ensure clean, reliable data was feeding into it.

• Product data was missing key attributes, prices were entered incorrectly, and location codes were inconsistent.

• As a result, shelves were often empty, despite stockrooms being full — a classic example of poor data visibility and misaligned reporting.

• Employees manually entered data to “patch” the system, introducing human error and inconsistencies.

• Combined with other strategic issues, the bad data undermined the entire launch, costing the company billions.

The Outcome:

• Target Canada lost $2 billion in under two years.

• The company closed all 133 stores and completely exited the Canadian market in 2015.

📉 “Even though we had a great supply chain system on paper, we didn’t have accurate data. Bad data led to bad decisions.” — Former Target Canada Executive

Key Takeaway:

Even global retail giants fail without reliable, actionable data. If your dashboards or reports are built on incomplete or inaccurate inputs, your business decisions will suffer — often without you realizing it until it's too late.

Solution? Stop Drowning in Data: Use Dashboarding - Business Intelligence (BI), to Drive Results

In today’s fast-paced retail environment, there’s one common thread separating thriving businesses from those just surviving: data-driven decision-making.

Yet despite access to endless streams of data, far too many retailers are overwhelmed, underutilizing the information they already have. According to a study by McKinsey, companies that leverage customer behavior data to generate insights outperform peers by 85% in sales growth and more than 25% in gross margin.

So, how do you turn data into dollars?

At Retail in Detail, we’re helping retail teams make smarter, faster decisions with our 4-week Dashboarding & Business Intelligence Training. Whether you're using outdated reports or don’t have a dashboard at all—we meet you where you are and show you where your data can take you.

Why This Training Matters: Real Problems, Real Opportunities

Retailers face common challenges:

• “Why is our inventory always off?”

• “Which products are really driving profit?”

• “Where are we losing sales?”

• “What’s our ideal stock-to-sales ratio?”

Most of these questions already have answers buried in your data. The challenge isn’t access—it’s interpretation and action.

We show you how to decode and visualize your data using proven statistical techniques and industry best practices, building dashboards that don’t just look good—they work hard.

Why Dashboards? Why Now?

The modern shopper has changed—and so must your reporting. Retailers who invest in business intelligence tools see a 1300% ROI over three years (Nucleus Research). With the right dashboards, you can:

• Forecast demand with greater accuracy

• Optimize inventory levels

• Increase basket size and customer retention

• Align teams across merchandising, operations, and marketing

• Dashboards not only provide top level insight, but allow data to be layered to drill down to find cause and effect at various stakeholder levels

And perhaps most importantly: make decisions faster with confidence.

At Retail in Detail, we bring a unique blend of retail expertise and data science. We don’t believe in cookie-cutter dashboards. We provide unbiased recommendations, tailored to your business goals—whether you're an independent retailer or a national chain.

Your team will leave the training with clear strategies, custom dashboards, and a deeper understanding of what drives success in your business. Our Promise: Practical, Personalized, Proven

Ready to Maximize Your Success?

Don’t let your data go to waste. Let’s turn it into your greatest competitive advantage.

- Paul Birmingham, Partner, Retail in Detail & Studio 11 Creative Group