Retailer Target (TGT 1.03%) has announced soft opening dates for a fleet of new stores in western Canada. The 24 locations, spanning across Manitoba, British Columbia, and Alberta, will not only help expedite Target's goal of opening 124 Canadian stores in 2013, but it will also further widen the company's grasp across North America.

Previously this year, Target opened 24 stores in Ontario alone. According to Tony Fisher, president of Target Canada, the new Ontario stores provided "valuable insights that ... will help us to continue to deliver on Target's brand promise" throughout the retailer's Western Canada efforts.

Like many U.S. Targets, the new Canadian locations will include an in-store pharmacy and a licensed Starbucks nook. Twenty-two new stores will open on May 7, and two will open on May 14.