Target Corp. on Tuesday took the unusual step to permanently close stores in four markets BEFORE the Holiday shopping season begins in earnest. 

Target said in a statement that it is closing nine store in four states, including one in East Harlem, NY, three in San Francisco, two in Portland, OR and two in Seattle, WA, suggesting that theft and organized retail crime has threatened the safety of its employees and customers.

The retailer’s statement reads, in part, as follows:

“At Target, we take the decision to close stores very seriously and only do so after taking meaningful steps to invest in the guest experience and improve business performance. With that said, we have made the difficult decision to close nine Target stores across four states, effective Oct. 21.

“In this case, we cannot continue operating these stores because theft and organized retail crime are threatening the safety of our team and guests and contributing to unsustainable business performance. 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.

“Before making this decision, we invested heavily in strategies to prevent and stop theft and organized retail crime in our stores, such as adding more security team members, using third-party guard services and implementing theft-deterrent tools across our business. Despite our efforts, unfortunately, we continue to face fundamental challenges to operating these stores safely and successfully.

“The team members at these stores have worked hard to maintain our high standards by creating a positive working and shopping experience for each other, our guests and their communities. We are extremely thankful for their efforts and will be partnering closely with all eligible team members to offer them an opportunity to transfer to other Target locations.

“Looking ahead, we remain committed to serving these guests with more than 150 locations open in markets where the closures are taking place and an always-open experience at Target.com.”

The following Target stores will close on October 21, 2023:

New York City Market
Harlem
517 E. 117th Street

  • Target said that 96 stores remain open in the New York City market, employing more than 20,000 and would continue its commitment to its New York City employees, guests and community.
  • In 2022, in the New York City area, Target said it gave over $10 million in cash and product donations, including over 4.8 million pounds of food, to local food banks and Target store employees volunteered over 32,000 hours in the community.

Seattle Market
Seattle University Way: 4535 University Way NE
Seattle Ballard: 1448 NW Market St, Ste 100

  • Target said 22 stores remain open in the Seattle market, employing nearly 4,000, and that Target would continue its commitment to its Seattle employees, guests and community. 
  • In 2022, Target said it gave over $3.6 million in cash and product donations, including almost 2 million pounds of food, to local food banks and the company’s employees volunteered over 8,500 hours in the community.

San Francisco/Oakland Market
SF Folsom and 13th St: 1690 Folsom Street
Oakland Broadway & 27th: 2650 Broadway
Pittsburg: 4301 Century Blvd.

  • Target reported that 32 stores remain open in the San Francisco/Oakland market, employing more than 6,400, and it would continue its commitment to its San Francisco and Oakland employees, guests and community.
  • In 2022, in the San Francisco/Oakland area, Target reportedly gave over $8.6 million in cash and product donations, including over 4 million pounds of food, to local food banks, and its employees volunteered over 20,000 hours in the community.

Portland Market
Portland Galleria: 939 SW Morrison Street
Portland Powell: 3031 SE Powell Blvd.
Portland Hollywood: 4030 NE Halsey Street

  • Target indicated that 15 stores would remain open in the Portland market, employing more than 2,500, and would continue its commitment to the Portland employees, guests and community.
  • In 2022, in the Portland area, Target gave over $2.3 million in cash and product donations, including over 1 million pounds of food to local food banks, and its employees volunteered over 5,800 hours in the community.

Photo courtesy Target