Sears Canada offers job opportunities, employee discounts to Target workers

Sears Canada's latest offer is aimed not at customers, but at the soon-to-be unemployed workers of Target Canada.

Target announced last week that it is exiting its money-losing business there, closing 133 stores and laying off 17,000 employees. In response, Sears Canada is encouraging Target Canada employees to apply for jobs at its company.

Beginning this week, Sears Canada will post information online about job fairs, hold a meet-and-greet for Target head-office employees and even extend its own employee discount to affected Target employees to use for 16 weeks.

Sears Canada Inc. said that it wanted to "do something meaningful" to help those affected by job losses at its competitor.

The company operates 174 corporate stores and 207 Hometown stores in Canada, as well as merchandise pick-up locations and other offices.

A number of retailers have struggled in Canada, where they face costly regulations and tough competition. Retailers Big Lots Inc. and Best Buy Co. have both closed stores in Canada. And Sony Corp. is closing all of its 14 stores there. Sears Holding Corp. has even sold most of its stake in its Canadian unit.