Whitten, Rachel Linwood (2015-12). These Are Not the Stores You're Looking For: An Analysis of Target Canada as a Rhetorical Situation and Failed Memory Place. Master's Thesis.
Thesis
This thesis seeks to explore the complexities surrounding organizations during the process of becoming multinational. Particularly, I look at complications that can arise and lead to the ultimate failure of a multinational venture. My analysis is two-fold. First, I looked at Target Corporation's expansion into Canada as a rhetorical situation--full of exigencies audiences and constraints. Ultimately, I argue the biggest constraining factor was Target's own rhetoric, which created expectations that they did not fulfill. The second way I approach Target's unsuccessful entrance is through the lens of collective memory studies. Places inherently house memories and memory that, if for an entire collective, is co-produced. Target Canada did not become a solidified memory place because the experiential landscape was inconsistent. The way that consumers experienced Target during one visit was not consistent from one visit to another and from stores in the U.S. to stores in Canada. Thus, for Canadians, I ultimately argue, these aren't the stores you're looking for.
