Wal-Mart to Buy 13 Former Target Canada Stores, Plus Distribution Center - Spending $289M - Adding 1.6M ft. of retail space - Creating 3,400 jobs  Wal-Mart Stores Inc. on Friday said it will acquire more retail and distribution space in Canada from rival Target Corp., a few months after Target revealed plans to exit out of its money-losing operations in the country. The retailer will spend about 165 million Canadian dollars ($136 million) for 12 store leases and one owned property, adding about 1.6 million square feet of retail space. Wal-Mart will also buy one distribution center to add 1.4 million square feet of distribution space. The company said it expects to invest an additional C$185 million ($153 million) in renovations, bringing its total investment to about C$350 million ($289 million). "Wal-Mart is committed to the Canadian market, and this agreement helps us accelerate our growth plans," said Walmart Canada Chief Executive Dirk Van den Berghe. In early January, Target said it would shut its Canada operations, bringing an end to the discount chain's first attempt to expand beyond the U.S. Meanwhile, Wal-Mart has been growing its Canadian presence. In February, Wal-Mart unveiled plans to spend about 340 million Canadian dollars ($280 million) on 29 supercenter projects in Canada. Walmart Canada currently operates 395 stores. The deal is subject to court approval and certain other customary conditions, Wal-Mart said. Work at the locations is expected to start within the next few months. wsj.com thestar.com

Wal-Mart's press release listing locations of the 13 new stores

Canadian Tire Corp acquires 12 Target leases for $17.7 million
Canadian Tire Corp. has concluded an agreement to acquire 12 strategic real estate leases, formerly held by Target Canada, for $17.7 million. "We've been tracking certain Target properties for some time and when the opportunity came up, we moved quickly and secured virtually all of them. We chose 12 properties that fit strategically and financially into our store network," said Michael Medline, President and CEO, Canadian Tire. The 12 locations are cross-country, in suburbs or smaller urban centres: four in B.C., two in Ontario, three in Quebec, one each in Halifax, Winnipeg and Moncton. financialpost.com

Target Layoff could be 'single-largest one-time purge of jobs in Canadian workforce history'  As many as half of the 17,600 or so Canadian employees Target laid off were let go in April as the chain was shutting down the last of its 133 stores. The job losses are expected to see employment in the retail sector drop by about 12,000 jobs, according to RBC Economics. RBC still expects Statscan to show a gain of 3,000 net new jobs across the economy in April, but "the monthly increase is expected to be restrained by the layoff of Target workers," Paul Ferley, assistant chief economist said. Others aren't as optimistic. BMO believes the economy shed 15,000 jobs last month - half of which can be attributed to the Target layoff, an event that could be the single-largest one-time purge of jobs in Canadian workforce history, BMO chief economist Doug Porter said. With thousands of retail workers suddenly without work, the jobless rate is expected to climb a tick to 6.9 per cent. globalnews.ca

J.C. Penney drawing battle lines - decides to split with Canada's Loblaw chain Joe Fresh - The competition is heating up  Loblaw Cos. Ltd. will drop its Joe Fresh fashion line from U.S. department-store chain J.C. Penney in 2016, underlining the Canadian grocer's apparel challenges south of the border. Just over a month after Joe Mimran, creator and namesake of Joe Fresh, left, Loblaw is now embarking on a new path in the United States under a new leader. Mario Grauso, president of the cheap-chic clothing line and a veteran U.S. fashion specialist, said on Thursday the company will wind down its partnership with J.C. Penney, cutting ties with it entirely by early next year. "By mutual agreement, Joe Fresh and J.C. Penney have determined to not renew our existing distribution agreement that expires on January 30, 2016," Mr. Grauso said in a brief e-mailed statement. theglobeandmail.com



Canadian Security's Focus On Retail Security one-day seminar  A valuable opportunity for anyone interested in learning more about the latest techniques to combat retail crime. You can expect to hear more about: ● Organized Retail Crime ● Restorative Justice ● Online Fraud For full agenda and registration details visit: www.focusonseries.ca



First three Saks Off Fifth stores opening in Ontario next spring

Best Buy CA takes on Amazon with 'marketplace' selling of other retailers' products

Toronto Mayor John Tory supports swapping some cops for civilians

RCMP looking for credit card fraudsters hitting stores throughout Alberta & Calgary  RCMP are seeking the public's help in identifying four people who used the numbers of a stolen credit card to make fraudulent purchases recently worth more than $5,000 at a business in Magrath. Raymond RCMP officers report the same credit card numbers may have also been used throughout Alberta, more particularly in Barrhead, Morinville, Hinton and Calgary. lethbridgeherald.com

Mounties Cuff Canadian 27-year-old woman Webcam Hacker
She's also accused of running an online hacking forum with 35,000 members worldwide. The Mounties alleged that the woman posted YouTube videos showing her actually carrying out the offenses - that is, remotely controlling victim computers and intimidating their owners. infosecurity-magazine.com

Woman dies of injuries after being hit in parking lot of Vancouver store
A 60-year-old Vancouver woman died in hospital a few days after suffering a serious head injury when she was hit by a pickup truck in the parking lot of the Real Canadian Superstore on Southeast Marine Drive. The truck was driving up the ramp off Prince Edward Street when it hit the woman, who was walking along a foot path, Vancouver police said. Her name has not been released. The driver remained at the scene and is continuing to co-operate with police. Speed, alcohol and distracted driving do not appear to be factors in the collision. It is Vancouver's sixth traffic fatality this year, and four were pedestrians. theprovince.com

Cargo Theft: Brampton man charged with tractor-trailer thefts; nearly $100,000 of bread and dog food  A Brampton man has been charged with tractor-trailer thefts that occurred in Halton Hills and Milton. Shortly after 8 a.m. on Monday (May 4) the victim of a tractor trailer theft observed the stolen transport truck travelling on Steeles Ave. in Halton Hills. Police were able to locate the vehicle in Milton and followed it into a trucking yard. The driver was arrested without incident and transported to 12 Division in Milton. Investigation revealed, the male was responsible for the theft of a trailer filled with bread products valued at approximately $45,000 and a trailer filled with dog food valued at approximately $53,000. Police were able to recover the stolen bread products along with a stolen Freightliner Transport truck from Mississauga. theifp.ca

Vancouver GameStop store robbed at gunpoint
Police are looking for a man after he robbed a Vancouver game store at gunpoint Thursday afternoon. Vancouver Police Department said around 4:20 p.m. a call came in about an armed robbery at the Game Stop located in the 200 block of NE 104th Ave. When police arrived to the store, the clerk told them the suspect came in and displayed a small silver revolver and demanded cash. The suspect told the clerk to get face down on the floor and then left the store on foot. A Vancouver K-9 patrol responded, but did not find the suspect. kptv.com

RCMP investigating assault at Sherwood Park 7-Eleven store