Myself and some lovely other Ottawa bloggers received invitations to attend a private access pre-tour of Target the day before the grand opening. While we were not allowed to purchase anything, we were allowed to take some photos and ask the Target Canada spokesperson Lisa Gibson some questions. Safe to say, the main question was "Is the 3.1 Phillip Lim line available and can we buy anything today?". The answer was yes and no. The limited edition line was available in-store and we were able to admire it, but nothing was to leave the premises. Even the staff and friends that attended the private shopping event later that night were allowed to purchase anything!
Although Target had already opened quite a few locations across Canada recently, the anticipation and excitement was still very much present. Albeit Ottawa being the nation's capital, it lacked many things necessary to a booming consumer population. Target being high up on this list. The mere fact that borders no longer need be crossed to access such great quality products at such a reasonable price is definitely a hit amongst all bloggers and consumers alike!
After purchasing several Zellers locations across the city, the three to be completed for September 17th were Billings Bridge, Hazeldean and Orleans. Each location's interior was completely gutted and re-done in order to provide consumers with a complete "Target" feel that they would get at any other retail location. I definitely did not sense any lingering Zellers during the tour. Although the main color is shared by both retailers, a Target feel resonated throughout the store. The aisles were larger, the displays were brighter and the sections were arranged according to customer preference.
Not only were the aisles larger, but the store itself was brighter than your typical retailer. Now I don't know about other consumers out there, but stores that have dim lighting that literally cause you to be temporarily blind drive me insane. The lighting is really taken to the next level in the cosmetics aisle, where the backlit displays had every blogger ooh-ing and aah-ing. Doesn't this bright aesthetic make you excited? And that's exactly the feel that Target Canada was going for when they brought this set-up over from US stores.
Besides bringing over these brightly lit displays, Target Canada also carries the beloved Sonia Kashuk and and Pixi brands that are much sought after. To make it even better, the pricing of products are on par with US stores as well.
And if cosmetics weren't what you were after, Target also has its own pharmacy in-store! Each pharmacy is privately owned ensuring a quality customer service.
Although I didn't see anyone physically linger, we definitely all stared at the neatly packed shelves of food in the grocery section.
I tried making a mental note of the things I wanted, the golden elephant tealight holder being one of them. Sadly when I came back the next day, all of them were gone. So that's a note to all shoppers out there, the ever popular Nate Berkus collection is available and going just as quick here as in the US.
There were also some crazy and colorful wigs on display in their seasonal section that provided us with much amusement.
As we made our way around the store, my list of wants definitely grew.
The most anticipated part of the tour had to be the 3.1 Phillip Lim collection. Saved for last, everyone's excited was easily seen. As the collection had already launched in US stores 2 days prior and stock was going fast, shopping strategies were covertly discussed as we roamed around the collection. At the top of most of the bloggers' lists were the coveted bags. With the Canadian collection launch simultaneously landing on the same day as the store's grand opening, we all knew that the next morning would be chaos.
After having a once all of the rest of his collection, I knew my heart was set on the yellow mini Pashli look-a-like satchel. Beyond the bags, there wasn't much else in the collection that I was too keen on. While the comic patterned scarves looked promising, I had to remind myself that I'm not much of a silk scarf wearer. For me, scarves are reserved for the winter and are to be fabricated of wool/cotton. Therefore I had to let the silks pass.
After allowing us enough time to snap photos of the goods, Lisa Gibson answered a couple questions before leaving us each with a stuffed version of Target's mascot Bullseye. Sadly I didn't get a chance to pick one up on my way out as they had under estimated the number of bloggers that were showing up for the pre-tour. Regardless, I'm still happy to be expecting one in the mail!
For my first blogger event, I would have to say that it was extremely enjoyable and I got to meet lots of lovely girls. Before leaving for the day, a couple of us exchanged blog URLs and Instagram accounts in order to remain in touch before the storm of the next day. How was it you ask? Fret not, you'll definitely get a chance to re-live the chaos with me in the next post!
Labels: #GoBillings, 3.1, billings bridge, blogger breakfast, bloggers, collaboration, collection, grand opening, limited edition, philip lim, sneak peak, target, target canada
