Target will open seven new stores in March as it pivots back toward larger-format locations under newly installed CEO Michael Fiddelke.
On February 2, as he took up the operation’s reins, Target’s new CEO, Michael Fiddelke, issued a statement to the company’s stakeholders about his stated priorities for the business, which include merchandising through curation that brings together design, style and value, and elevating the guest experience by making store visits and digital interactions easier and more engaging. He also emphasized the need to accelerate technology to personalize its approach to consumers, create an enhanced shopping experience and invest in people to build future-ready skills and grow alongside the communities Target stores serve.
In expanding its base of operations, Target noted that the six store openings are part of a 30-store new initiative that the company is advancing this year and a 300-store new store plan the company is executing through 2035. A common theme among the larger store openings is an emphasis on perishable foods, as consumers concerned about economic conditions cook at home more often.
The smaller store, of a format the company developed and expanded to service densely populated communities, is one of six locations Target intends to open on March 15. It will debut in Jersey City, NJ, just across the Hudson River from New York and weighs in at 40,000 square feet. Target noted that it positioned the store to attract commuters by offering early opening hours, amenities, and convenient fulfillment services, given its proximity to public transportation that connects Jersey City to surrounding municipalities, including New York City.
On the same day, Target is debuting a 148,000-square-foot store in Bakersfield, CA, that will stock 16,000 square feet of fresh produce, meat, and dairy, the company said. A new 148,000 square foot Target store in Delano, CA, will be the company’s first store in the area to stock an expanded selection of fresh produce, meat and dairy.
In Springfield, MO, Target is introducing a 148,000 square foot store, the second in the market, that will offer an expanded assortment of produce, meat and dairy. The new 148,000-square-foot Target in Fuquay-Varina, NC, near Raleigh, will feature a more than 13,000-square-foot food and beverage department with a wide selection of private-label and national brands. Then, a new 110,000 square foot in Dallas will carry an assortment that reflects the needs of the Oak Cliff section’s Hispanic and Black shoppers.
On March 29, a new 150,000-square-foot Target in West Orange, NJ, will open as the company’s 55th store in the Garden State. Target emphasized that it has opened three locations in New Jersey over the past year.
