Target opens in Union Square weeks after company blames crime on NYC store closure
NEW YORK CITY - Target is opening its newest store at Union Square in Manhattan Tuesday, with New York City Mayor Eric Adams attending an afternoon ribbon-cutting ceremony.
The 33,000 sq. ft. store is located at 10 Union Square East, on the northeast corner of 14th Street. The location includes a CVS Pharmacy and offers order pickup and same-day delivery, a spokesperson told Fox 5 NY.
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Target closing East Harlem store, nine nationwide, citing theft threatening workers, shoppers
Target said it's closing nine store in four states, including one in East Harlem, New York and three in San Francisco, saying that theft and organized retail crime have threatened the safety of its workers and customers.
The store opening comes after the company announced last month they would close nine store in four states, including one in East Harlem – saying theft and organized retail crime threatened the safety of its workers and customers.
Target had described the decision as "difficult."
"We know that our stores serve an important role in their communities, but we can only be successful if the working and shopping environment is safe for all," Target said in a statement.
Before making the decision, Target said it had invested heavily in strategies to prevent and stop theft, such as adding more security team workers, using third-party guard services and installing theft deterrent tools – like locking up merchandise.
It also trained store leaders and security team members to protect themselves and de-escalate potential safety issues. But it noted despite the efforts, it continued to face "fundamental challenges" to operate the stores safely, and the business performance at the locations was unsustainable.
While the store closings account for just a fraction of the 1,900 stores Target operates nationwide, the move is significant.
It underscores the big challenges retailers like Target face in reducing theft in stores as they wrestle with protecting their workers and customers while trying to serve the community, particularly low-income and minority groups who rely on the local stores for necessities.
For example, the Target store in East Harlem is located in a heavily Hispanic area, and residents have few choices to buy good quality healthy foods.
Associated Press wire services helped contribute to this report.