New Small-Format Target Coming to Chicago
Groceries, including fresh produce, grab-and-go items, snacks and meal solutions, will be a featured part of Target’s new small-format store coming to Chicago’s Wicker Park neighborhood next summer.
Scheduled to open in July 2018, the 13,000-square-foot store -- to be located just steps from the Division Street Blue Line elevated train station -- will be Target’s ninth small-format store in the area.
“We’re thrilled for the opportunity to serve guests in the Wicker Park neighborhood, and our small-format store design offers the flexibility to customize a Target shopping experience for local residents and commuters alike,” said Mark Schindele, Target’s SVP for properties. “In the coming weeks and months, we’ll meet with the Wicker Park Committee and partner with local leaders to ensure the needs of this vibrant and unique community are reflected throughout the store’s assortment and design.”
Reaching New Consumers
Target’s strategic priorities include reaching new customers by expanding small-format stores in dense suburban neighborhoods and urban areas, as well as near college campuses. Target’s small-format store assortment is tailored to meet the needs of local consumers.
The retailer is on track to operate 130 small-format stores by the end of 2019, serving communities and neighborhoods where a traditional-sized Target store may not fit. Customers who shop Target’s small-format stores around the country have responded well to having customized shopping experiences available in their neighborhoods.
Target has signed a lease with Hubbard Street Group to open a small-format store in the new Centrum Wicker Park mixed-use development. At 12,800 square feet, the store will employ 30 to 50 associates to provide neighboring families, students and young professionals with a quick-trip shopping experience and a carefully tailored assortment mix that includes a grocery selection for the fill-in trip, including produce and meal solutions; a beauty assortment presented in a boutique-style setting; apparel and accessories for adults and children; toys; and sporting goods.
“We are excited to have Target join as an anchor tenant and contribute to the vitality of Wicker Park Connection,” said John McLinden, managing partner, Hubbard Street Group. “The goal of the Wicker Park Connection project is to provide much-needed open space for the Wicker Park neighborhood. The master plan of the four-phase project includes a beautiful tree-lined public plaza connecting Division Street to Milwaukee Avenue. The public plaza will include public art, water jets and seating areas.”
Minneapolis-based Target operates more than 1,800 stores nationwide.