A rendering of a TargetExpress installed in a different city. Photo courtesy of the Target Corporation.
UPDATE | Target has announced the precise opening date of Long Beach’s newest Target store, near Bellflower Boulevard, slated to open next month: Wednesday, March 9.
In a release issued today, Target officials discussed the opening of its new small concept store on 5760 East Seventh Street, as well as guided tours within the 33,000 square foot location, to take place that day.
“TargetExpress is the newest concept coming from our favorite store,” Third District Councilmember Suzie Price wrote on Facebook last year. “The smaller store concept is about a fifth the size of a traditional Target store and is designed to give customers in the neighborhood a fast and efficient shopping experience that is tailored to our community needs. The store is expected to open in March of 2016. I am happy to welcome this new concept store to the 3rd District.”
PREVIOUSLY: Target Slated to Open Second East Long Beach Location in March 2016
09/07/16 at 1:53PM | A smaller version of the big-box retailer giant Target could be headed to Long Beach next year, as the company is in negotiations to open a second location on Bellflower Boulevard as early as March 2016.
The announcement was made on Facebook by Third District Councilwoman Suzie Price and Mayor Rober Garcia last week. The smaller Target storefront would take over the location that previously housed the Ralph’s supermarket at the “Iron Triangle’ where Pacific Coast Highway, Bellflower Boulevard and Seventh Street intersect.
“TargetExpress is the newest concept coming from our favorite store,” Price wrote on Facebook. “The smaller store concept is about a fifth the size of a traditional Target store and is designed to give customers in the neighborhood a fast and efficient shopping experience that is tailored to our community needs. The store is expected to open in March of 2016. I am happy to welcome this new concept store to the 3rd District.”
The Minneapolis-based chain opened its pilot version of the “Express” store in July 2014, but the company announced last month it would be dropping the “Express” monicker, simply calling the smaller stores Target. Much like the pilot that opened in the shadows of the University of Minnesota campus, the 20,000 square-foot store set to open in the city will be just steps from Cal State Long Beach.
The store is a fraction of the size of the one located just two miles up the street at the the Los Altos Shopping Center and will be geared more toward students and city dwellers. The company’s decision to go smaller is part of a campaign to provide a more unique and localized shopping experience for its customers. Other cities like San Francisco, San Diego, Washington D.C. and Chicago have also recently had smaller Target locations open, as the retailer announced a shift to reaching guests in urban areas.
“Our store growth looks different today than it did five years ago, driven by guests’ expectations for ease and personalization in their shopping experience,” Executive Vice President and Chief Stores Officer Tina Tyler said in a February 2015 statement. “Smaller formats like TargetExpress and CityTarget offer customized assortments and services to meet the needs of guests who are increasingly moving into urban centers.”
Price said that as long as permitting goes as planned, the store could open in March of next year. Garcia congratulated Price for helping land the location in the third district and said other future locations in the city could potentially be in the works.
“Great work from Councilwoman Suzie Price who is a great economic development partner, and our City Team,” Garcia wrote. “We also pitched Target today on another Long Beach location that would be a home run—keep your fingers crossed and thank you Target!”