The site of a soon-to-be-defunct Target Country store in the Bacchus Marsh Village Shopping Centre is up for grabs.
Target.com.au has listed the store as due to close in “early-mid 2021” – although other reports have specified April.
The 915 sq m site has now been listed on realcommercial.com, which describes the lease opportunity as being in “one of Melbourne’s most dynamic growth corridors”.
Locals on social media have suggested replacing the store with a Woolworths, Priceline, Best & Less or even a skate shop.
Other stores due to be off-loaded include Bairnsdale, Colac, Kerang and Maryborough.
Meanwhile the Target in Central Square Ballarat will stay put along with others in Sunbury, Pacific Werribee, Brimbank Central and Highpoint.
Other Target stores due to be converted into Kmarts include Caroline Springs, Watergardens, Woodend, Ararat and Castlemaine.
Meanwhile, the company has told customers in areas without a Target store that it will encourage locals to sign up to an e-newsletter and buy products online.
Target operators also plan to set up focus groups with people from areas that have lost regional stores to gain feedback on their websites.
A ‘click and collect’ service for Target customers will also be available from Kmart – and Target gift cards will still be able to be used via target.com.au
The company said it had been reviewing the business for some time, but the pandemic had accelerated the process and it was closing smaller stores to keep the overall business viable.
Staff will be offered other jobs at other Wesfarmers businesses such as Officeworks, Bunnings and Kmart.
** Bacchus Marsh Village shopping centre has been contacted for comment.
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Meanwhile, enjoy this blast from the past – a trailer for ‘Career Opportunities’ – featuring a young Jennifer Connelly locked in a US Target store…
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