Target holiday tour across Canada heralds planned store openings

MISSISSAUGA, Ontario — Target will sponsor a tour across Canada that will visit more than 20 communities ahead of the planned opening of its stores in the country, the mass-merchandise retailer said Tuesday.

The tour will start in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and conclude in British Columbia in the middle of December. Target plans to open 124 stores in Canada starting in March and April 2013.

"We are excited to be celebrating the holidays with Canadians from coast to coast," Target Canada director of marketing Livia Zufferli said. "We've planned surprises in more than 20 communities across the country in the hopes of creating unforgettable memories and giving Canadians a taste of what they can expect when Target opens in 2013."

Target purchased the leases for the Zellers store chain from the Hudson's Bay Co. in January 2011. Since then, it has worked to convert the stores to Target stores and also boosted its presence in Canada. On Nov. 6, the company announced it would sponsor a competition for up-and-coming Canadian fashion designers, and last week, it announced it would donate up to $1 million to Canadian charities through its Give With Target program.