California State University, Long Beach’s 36,000-odd students may find themselves shopping at a new 33,000-square-foot Target just across the street as early as March, according to a statement by Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia.
Garcia announced on Sept. 4 that a Target Express is set to open as early as 2016 at the former Ralphs location off of PCH and Bellflower.
The new Target Express will be just across Seventh Street right next to California State University, Long Beach, only two miles away from a bigger Target store off of Stearns and Bellflower.
Brandi Morgan, human resources manager at the Target off of Stearns, said that the new Target has the potential to be a big draw to students on campus since it is within walking distance.
“Any college or university is a major landmark for Target to capitalize on,” Morgan said. “CSULB is a great opportunity to gain customer loyalty from the thousands of students on campus.”
Morgan said that Target Express stores are smaller versions of the company’s main retail stores that stock products more specific to the location’s environment and demographic.
“A Target Express across the street [from CSULB] sounds great, especially if they are selling products specific to college students,” Mariandrea Luna, a third year kinesiology major said.
Luna said that Target is really cheap compared to the campus bookstore, and other local convenience stores, and that the new location will be a lot more convenient for students.
According to an article on the Target website, the first Target Express in Minneapolis similarly served college students from the University of Minnesota and sold fresh produce, snacks, home products and pharmacy medications.
Target also opened smaller Express stores in cities like San Francisco, San Diego, Washington D.C. and Chicago. Morgan said that the smaller stores are so new, there is no way of gauging their long-term success rate yet.
She also said that these mini Targets are part of the company’s decision to go smaller in an effort to reach more customers in urban areas.
Morgan said that Target looks at demographic, landmarks, environment and proximity of competition when researching locations for potential new stores.
“I don’t see the Target Express affecting us in any negative way,” Morgan said. “If anything, it will help drive more sales to our location.”
Morgan said that her store is not worried about the proximity of the new store because of the wider variety of products they offer. If Target Express does not stock a certain product, customers have to travel down the street to a full-service Target, Morgan said.
Many customers will have to travel from different areas, with only two Target stores in east Long Beach, Morgan said.
Rosario Lopez, a senior dance major at CSULB, said that she takes the bus to and from school and that the new Target Express would be closer and more convenient than the Target two miles up the street.
“I go to CVS when I can’t make it to Target,” Lopez said. “Now with a Target Express in the same plaza, I won’t be going CVS anymore.”