Thursday, November 10, 2016

Target Misses The Mark in Roswell: Store Closing

SuperTarget store to close.

The SuperTarget store on Holcomb Bridge Road in Roswell which anchors the East Village shopping center is closing early next year.  The 182,000 square foot "Roswell East" store which opened in late 2008 is expected to close its now CVS branded pharmacy next month, followed by the rest of the store in late-January.  

Interestingly, when one calls the Roswell East store, before being given options for departments, the message states that "we are now hiring."  

The SuperTarget concept, which is marketed as a "hypermarket" in that it offers baked goods, deli, meats, grocery, produce in addition to typical Target offerings, was rolled out in 1995.  Since that time, Target has grown the concept, which features stores of at least 175,000 square feet, but with mixed results.  


Industry sources indicate that Target has never been thrilled with the results of many of its SuperTarget stores.  Given their size, SuperTarget stores must do tremendous volume to be profitable.
One reader with whom I spoke in preparing this article lives near the Roswell East store and questioned whether Target might consider relocating to the former Kohl's store nearby.  The Kohl's store, which closed in June along with one at Northlake Mall in Tucker, is nearly 87,000 square feet and is less than a mile north of the current SuperTarget.  Commercial real estate firm Colliers International handles leasing for both centers.  

The East Village center is also home to Marshalls (which relocated from the Plaza at Roswell shopping center, now the Frontgate outlet), Rack Room Shoes, Dollar Tree, Taco Mac, a host of other restaurants and shops, and of course, Mattress Firm.  There is a large parcel to the right of Marshalls, big enough for a 65,000 square foot junior anchor, that was never developed and is now far less attractive in the wake of Target's departure.  

The next closest Target stores for area residents would be on North Point Parkway, which is about 5.5 miles away, and at Holcomb Bridge and Peachtree Parkway, about 5 miles away.  The next closest SuperTarget would be the "Roswell" SuperTarget on Woodstock Road, about eight miles away.  

In my research for this post, I discovered another SuperTarget slated for closure in Indio, California.  Like the Roswell East location, the Indio store is less than ten years old.  The Indio store is slated to close by the end of January but local officials are reportedly hoping to change the retailer's mind.   Indio's Director of Economic Development Carl Morgan has reportedly begun dialogue with Target's Minneapolis corporate office to see if it's possible for the company to reverse its decision with incentives from the city.

Earlier this morning, I contacted Steve Stroud, Executive Director Economic & Community Development for Roswell, Inc. to see if he was aware of the closure and or if he might pursue something similar to Indio's initiative.  As of 11:15PM tonight I had not heard back.  


The planned closures in East Roswell and Indio could be just the tip of the iceberg for the retailer who may have plans to close other stores that have not yet been publicized.  

The East Roswell closure follows other SuperTarget store closures in metro Atlanta including stores in Stone Mountain (2010) and Duluth (2014).  Target has also closed stores in Morrow and Lithonia, among others.  Target announced plans last November to close thirteen stores by January 31, 2016, none of which were in Georgia.  

Remaining SuperTarget stores in metro Atlanta include those in Roswell on Woodstock Road, Suwanee/Johns Creek on Peachtree Parkway, Dunwoody off Ashford Dunwoody Road, and Hiram on Jimmy Lee Smith Parkway, among others.

Are you surprised to see Target closing their East Roswell SuperTarget?  Would you like to see the city offer incentives to try and keep the retailer in place?  If SuperTarget does close, what would you like to see open in its place?

Please share your thoughts below.    

57 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sad. Love SuperTarget. Always clean. Hope they stay.

Unknown said...

I'm shocked. There will be no department stores in East Roswell after this, forcing residents to sit in awful traffic just to run errands. I don't understand why corporations expect huge profits year over year? It's not realistic or sustainable. East Roswell is also expanding quite a bit just in the next year. 2-3 brand new housing complexes are being built. I thinkTarget is jumping the gun. If they truly wish to save money, then they could downgrade the store to a regular target and take out the food portion.

Anonymous said...

I always wondered if that store would be on the chopping block. It's in a great area but whenever I would stop by on a Sunday afternoon, the store would be dead.

BK said...

That will be a big hulking box that'll be hard to split up and fully lease with other tenants. If I remember right that had a huge retaining wall behind it with little hope for a loading door on the backside if they tried to split it into a bunch of smaller tenants.

I'm assuming like most Target stores its a corporate owned (or their holding company) store/site and the rest of the center is shadow anchored by it. It'd be interesting to see if they sell it or it just sits languishing for awhile.

Unknown said...

We are all so surprised and so upset. First Kohls, now this. East Roswell is such a wonderful place to live and these retailers were part of that...keeping our driving down and making it so convenient to run errands. I hope there is a way we can change their minds to stay open somehow. and wish the rest of that center would fill IN, not empty out.

Anonymous said...

Now that Trump is president-elect and the slashing of corporate tax rates are on the way, perhaps Target leadership will change direction.

Better times ahead, America!

Anonymous said...

this would be a great place for one of those mega gospel church things.

~mindspringyahoo

Cat lover said...

I'm devastated. This store is such a convenience & what seems like a great location. To see the Northpoint location is on the closing list as well, not good.

I can't say I'm surprise, as all of these ridiculous strip malls pop up...they can't lease out the spaces & if they do, they go out of business. Yet people will continue to keep building these eyesores & unnecessary ruin the environment.

Unknown said...

Please stop this bull crap!

Unknown said...

We would love for this Target to remain here. In a separate post on Facebook, our neighbors were really upset about the news of the closing. We're not sure what action to take, so a follow-up to this piece would be helpful!

Anonymous said...

Oh Man! Please not THAT! :(

Anonymous said...

Well Aldi is coming in across from Kroger at centennial if that consolation. I went to that target to buy a belt for my Eurkea vacuum and they didn't carry the type. Had to travel to WalMart on Old Milton.

East Roswell resident said...

I shop at this Target location frequently. I suspect the problem is it being a SuperTarget. The grocery part of this store does not seem to be utilized. The prices are higher than nearby Kroger and Publix. I suspect a 'regular' Target, like the one at North Point (which also carries more stock in the clothing areas than this SuperTarget) might be profitable.

Jodyml813 said...

Where did you see North Point closing, I dont see it referenced on their page.

Anonymous said...

I am so sad to hear this I love Target I was there at least twice a week so easy to get in and out and after school I noticed parents stopped to pick up things their kids needed and different things some grocery, school supplies, and other things they needed so sorry to hear this I have not been in a Kohl's since it closed and I go by one everyday!!!

Anonymous said...

This is sad to hear...this particular Target location is one of the nicest stores in the chain in the metro Atlanta area. Compared to the North Point location, it is far cleaner and much more well organized. Sorry to see this go!

Anonymous said...

Very sad to see Target go. It has the place we go when we need a department store. Although I always thought the parking lot was never very full, even on weekends. Hope the other stores around it don't start closing because of a ripple effect. I also frequent Marshalls, Rack Room Shoes and Dollar Tree.

Anonymous said...

What's sad, is that our East Roswell Target charged higher prices than the one at the mall and on Woodstock road. I asked a manager about it one day and he said the rent in that new shopping center was higher, so they had to cover costs, thus raising prices. I asked people I know at the Woodstock location and they confirmed the information was accurate. As much as I love to support my local stores and I would shop there for the convenience, I have to say I did go to the mall or Woodstock on an off day because it was cheaper.

Rich Dippolito was involved in this development I believe both as a developer and at the same time sitting on council. I believe he was instrumental in helping to get Target here. Perhaps he and others can help to bring a big box in. I here rumors lots of companies were looking at Kohls. Would be GREAT if Target downsized and moved there. Kohls has a 20 year lease, so they are looking to sublet. It would probably be much cheaper for Target and we could keep them here with comparable prices.

Anonymous said...

I really hate to hear this. We're moving into a nearby subdivision and I was excited to have a Super Target just down the street. It seems this area is plagued by empty and unsightly strip malls. Shame.

Anonymous said...

Great idea!

nmb said...

Boy, have I ever got a bridge to sell you!

Anonymous said...

Maybe Rich Dippolito can get Steve Stroud to convince mayor and council to pay part of Target's rent to convince Target to stay. Just another reason why I moved to the west side of Roswell. I guess that the provincial east roswell residents don't get out to shop much. They probably shop the Internet instead of supporting local businesses. Time for Roswell to become two cities? East Roswell has been a financial drain ever since the city annexed Fulton County land all the way to the Chattahoochee River. The vacant big box stores just add to the quickening demise of east roswell.

Ham said...

I seem to remember a Wal-Mart somewhere in Gwinnett that was going to close and the local residents and county government persuaded them to stay. As matter of fact I think they actually expanded the store into a Super Wal-Mart.

Anonymous said...

SuperTarget is a doomed model with groceries, it is anticipated they all close. Target is struggling so do not expect regular Target stores to replace the Super concept. The internet has nothing to do with Target and why their stores are seeing dismal sales figures. Stating facts is politically incorrect.

Anonymous said...

I live nearby and we moved to this area for the convenience of Khols and Super Target. We hated the Target near the mall, it was always dark and very disorganized. I am not quite sure what people are referring to we always shop in the grocery section and see people there. My opinion is close the Target near the mall and leave this one open to draw the people here. This way another retail can move into the mall area, and they also retain their business and keep East Roswell growing.

Anonymous said...

I hope the Woodstock Rd. location does not have the same fate...

Anonymous said...

This is disappointing. I shop here frequently. I agree with the other post that this store is always clean and easy to get to. I wish Target would reconsider.

Anonymous said...

I think it would be a great location for a Costco!

Anonymous said...

It was just a matter of time. The flawed SuperTarget concept couple with a poor real estate decision finally caught up with this location. I will miss shopping there the few times a year that I do and I agree that the NP location needs a remodel. However, real estate is all about location, and the NP location is far superior than this one.

Anonymous said...

YESSS HOW DO WE MAKE COSTCO HAPPEN!!!

Anonymous said...

It was controversial when it was built due to the impact the construction had to the wooded area that it now occupies...Now it is closing?

A big FU to the Target C-level Execs and penny pinching financial dept trying to vindicate their jobs. YOUR STORE DOES FINE AND IT HAS SINCE IT OPENED. FU FU FU

Sarah said...

I just moved to the neighborhood and visit this Target on an almost daily basis. The grocery section has never been great, which is probably why it didn't do well. I couldn't even ever buy salad there because it was always always old.

But now I'm not sure where I'm going to go for things like laundry detergent, toilet paper, diapers, cat litter, and other household items. The locations was so convenient I could just swing by on my way home. Maybe I'll try Amazon.

Very very sad about this. Although maybe I'll save money since I won't be tempted to impulse shop....

Anonymous said...

It's such a shame. With half million dollar homes being build a block of the road, and mid-300K townhomes just adjacent to the store, it seems that Target is really abandoning ship that isn't taking on water. Having this Target nearby encouraged shopping for me..even just to browse which would lead to purchases. What business will want to locate to the area with an empty Kohls and now this? Restaurants would be a nice addition to the area but unlikely, as they would be there already. Would have to think the developer would likely tear it down and build more townhomes on the property while they let the other tenant leases expire. BTW..thanks Target for lying to me on the phone. When a consume calls your corporate number to express concerns and give positive feedback about your store, give them the courtesy of the truth.

Anonymous said...

I shop here often, and this will definitely have a ripple effect. So many of the storefronts in this relatively new strip mall have never been occupied, and definitely will not once the anchor store closes! Also, the nice townhouses they're still building will most likely have trouble selling once they realize they're looking at an abandoned strip mall! The rent is probably too high to compensate the other empty stores. East Roswell needs this Target and like others have said, it's clean and nice - unlike others in the area.

diego said...

Sorry y'all, but moving to an area or neighborhood because of a store seems like a really short-sighted decision.

Anonymous said...

@diego I wouldn't move to an area *just* for a store, but the fact that it's right down the street did make my decision to move OTP easier. Coming from the city, I would never move to a neighborhood that didn't offer some sort of convenience factor.

Also, who would've guessed that a less than 10yr-old Target, in an area with six-figure household incomes, would abruptly close? If Target can't survive, what retailer can? That's what's so disconcerting about it all.

Anonymous said...

Not surprised, this Target location has been a ghost town since it opened...regarding both the staff and customers. They usually only have 1 checkout open during the day, and it takes way too long to actually give them my money and checkout.

Good riddance, this was a very convenient Target but one of the worst to actually shop at.

InAtl said...

Would be very disappointing to see government give $$$ to keep a big box retailer. Not a wise investment of taxpayer dollars.

Anonymous said...

I too will miss the Target in East Roswell, and am hoping they will consider the Kohl's spot. I shop there at least weekly for everything except produce. Part of the problem is that Target is competing with three Krogers within a couple of miles & three Publix stores within about 4 miles. They do not turn over their produce fast enough to keep it fresh, thus no one buys it. Dry goods and non perishables don't seem to have the same problem because of the longer shelf life. The profit margin on a grocery store is very thin as it is. I hope the people who make decisions will reconsider.

Anonymous said...

Yes they do expect big profits EVERY year as most executive bonuses require at least 15% growth or a corresponding decrease in overall expenses and they REALLY want their bonuses!!

Anonymous said...

We will see if your unbridled optimism holds true in 4 years. I hope you are right but I really don't think that their plans to cut Social Security/Medicare but spend much more building a military that won't be effective in the current style of war and conflict, gut the EPA which has protected us from numerous corporate criminal acts, repeal Dodd Frank which are protections put in place after ultra greedy and irresponsible companies and banks brought down the world economy and, of course job 1 is giving the wealthy bigger tax cuts (shades of Reagan's trickle down economics which are very well proven to NOT WORK because nothing "trickles down" from greedy people!), keeping Citizen's United so corporations can spend unlimited money influencing elections, ETC, ETC, ETC..... Pardon my if I am not blindly behind this administration AND Congress like you!

Chris Barton said...

https://www.change.org/p/guest-relations-target-com-keep-alpharetta-target-store-open (East Roswell)

Anonymous said...

There are over a dozen Change.Org petitions to get rid of Trump. Do people really believe some silly online petition begging Target not close their doors is going to work? Money talks. You should have put your money where you month is and shopped there and VOTED with your dollars. That is why Target is is financial trouble is because the masses have silently boycotted target with their MONEY.

Speech is Silver, Silence is Golden, Spend The Green

Anonymous said...

North Point is not on any chopping block. They are only closing 3 stores and 1 of which is in Georgia

Anonymous said...

I know you're sad about this location and I am on the fence about it. It's closer to my house but I work at the Super Target on W. Crossville Rd. Speaking for the whole store, come on in we show pride in our store and guest. Survices

Anonymous said...

Sign the petition to let Target know that this location remains vital to the Roswell East community. https://www.change.org/p/guest-relations-target-com-keep-alpharetta-target-store-open

Anonymous said...

As a new resident of the area, having recently purchased a townhome in the community adjacent to the East Roswell Super Target, I am concerned about the what the closing and the affect another retailer coming in, such as Walmart, will do to my property values. I don't understand why this Super Target is being closed. It is always busy and is currently advertising that it is hiring with a HUGE sign on the front of the building. It is a very convenient outlet for a full grocery shopping trip to a quick stop for other miscellaneous needs on the fly. This is very disappointing new.

Anonymous said...

BUSY does not equate SALES. After the first of the year target will be forced to announce the closure of more stores. Politically correct retailing is not profitable.

Unknown said...

Anonymous,
I see why you posted anonymously. Your rant has NOTHING to do with a store closing in Roswell. I will say perhaps Target's earlier choice to support the bathroom debacle is part of their demise as patrons have boycotted this business. Again, it has nothing to do with who was recently elected for POTUS. Go crawl back under your rock.

Anonymous said...

We love this Target...it's the best of the area. The one at Perimeter is always junky, dirty and not well stocked. And frankly the employees are about as friendly as snakes. However, this East Roswell Target is so much easier to shop and the employees are always nice. And more importantly, it's easier to get to. I live in East Dunwoody and getting into the Perimeter area is a nightmare. I hate to give my taxes to Roswell, but honestly - during certain times of the day, it takes 30 minutes to get from east Dunwoody to west Dunwoody or back. Much easier to go to Holcomb Bridge. :-(

Anonymous said...

The original questions were- Would you like to see the city offer incentives to try and keep the retailer in place? Yes- That would be best scenario. Perhaps they could change it to be a regular Target and then lease out the other section,
If SuperTarget does close, what would you like to see open in its place? A Lifetime Fitness- since we can't seem to support retail- perhaps a really nice gym would be great- with an indoor swimming pool, etc. The space would certainly be big enough.

Unknown said...

I regularly shopped for groceries in the Duluth store for about 10 years, and when they closed it I started shopping at the then new Roswell store. Even though I have two other Targets that are closer I would go to Roswell because of the full grocery department. I wish they would keep it open. I love Publix but I save money on many items at Target, and the ones near me don't have full groceries.

anonymous said...

YES... A COSTCO WOULD BE WONDERFUL!

Anonymous said...

Target is for transvestites...and there just aren't that many of those!

Anonymous said...

Costco would be nice. I heard could be Walmart...nor sure Walmart neighborhood

Anonymous said...

It is back open

Charm said...

With 3 nearby Publix and Kroger alike, that takes away from the grocery market of Target. Then you have non-food items left (paper goods, soap, laundry detergent, etc.), well many of those same shoppers will get beauty/household goods from those same stores. And if your looking for clothes or specialty stores, you have the mall not too far away. I loved this Target, but it was ghost town everytime I went.

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