When Target entered Canada in 2013, it had all the advantages you’d expect for a retail success: a beloved brand, a ready customer base, prime store locations, and billions to invest.
And yet by 2015 it was gone. Every store closed. Thousands of employees out of work. A $5.4 billion loss.
From the outside, it looked like a simple retail failure. But behind the scenes, the collapse was fuelled by something every business owner should pay attention to: broken systems and unreliable data.
The Silent Threat in Fast Growth
Rapid expansion is exciting but it’s also dangerous if your systems can’t keep up.
For Target Canada, the problem wasn’t attracting customers. It was making sure the right products got to the right shelves at the right time.
They had multiple software platforms, each powerful on its own, but none truly integrated. Information lived in silos. Data accuracy slipped. Decision-makers were operating on numbers that didn’t match reality.
The result? Products piled up in warehouses while store shelves sat empty. And when the fix finally surfaced, it wasn’t approved because the cost seemed too high.
Why Small and Medium Businesses Should Care
It’s tempting to think, “That’s a big company problem.” But the truth is, the same risks apply to any organisation running on disconnected systems and questionable data.
Are your sales, inventory, and financial systems in sync?
Do you trust that the numbers your team sees are accurate and up to date?
If a major problem cropped up tomorrow, how quickly could you spot it?
The wrong answer to any of these questions can cost you—maybe not $5 billion, but enough to put your business at risk.
How We Help Businesses Do Better
At Clearbridge, we help businesses prevent these silent IT failures before they spiral.
Our Technology Assessments dig deep into your current systems, find the weak points, and map out a plan to connect your tools, clean your data, and give you one clear view of your business.
It’s about avoiding surprises and making decisions with confidence.
Download the Full Case Study
We’ve put together an in-depth eBook that breaks down exactly what went wrong, the warning signs that were missed, and the actionable lessons your business can use right now to strengthen your data strategy.
This is more than a story. It’s a playbook to help your business learn from a $5B error.
👉 Download your free copy to see what went wrong and how to get data decisions right.
