Target Closing Stores: 13 Stores Closing After Black Friday And Christmas Shopping Season

Target is closing 13 stores after the Black Friday and Christmas shopping season. The discount retailer cites shrinking profits for the nationwide closure of the stores. Mega deals after the first of the year will likely attract shoppers to the going out of business sales at the locations slated to shutter its doors forever.

Target’s 13 store closings decision was announced at time of year when companies typically reveal such plans leading into the Black Friday and the holiday shopping season, MSN reported. The store closings were reportedly based upon poor performance over the course of several years. A company representative told the media that a decision to close a store is never made lightly. Eligible workers will be given the opportunity to transfer to open positions at other locations, CNN Money reported.

The Target discount chain currently operates approximately 1,800 stores across the United States. As previously reported by the Inquisitr, Target has recently been focusing on enhancing the appearance of its stores and the presentation of merchandise on the shelves in multiple locations. CEO Brian Cornell stated last week during a retail industry conference, that the cosmetic changes to stores produced a substantial increase in sales for both its apparel and home goods, a Fortune report indicated.

Target also recently announced plans to begin offering curbside pickup for online orders. The new customer service is being coordinated in conjunction with the Curbside app. The mobile purchasing process will allow customers to shop online and then retrieve their items without ever leaving their car at 121 stores. The service begins November 1 and was previously only available at 21 Target stores.

Target Black Friday Commercial

“[We’re] really making sure that we can reach as many of our guests as possible,” Cornell added. “And letting the guest know exactly when [an order] will be delivered. That, we think, is a really important step for us.”

One of Target’s primary competitors is Walmart. During the second quarter of 2015, Target reported a 2.4 percent increase in sales, beating both Walmart and Macy’s. Target now has 460 stores which also double as shipping warehouses; last year they had 100 such centers.

Brian Cornell took the reins at the Target stores in 2014. Since assuming the CEO position he has been credited with nixing unprofitable aspects of the retail stores, including an expansion into Canada which cost the corporation about $7 billion.

Target announced a $2 billion, two-year cost savings plan earlier this year. The discount retailer’s plan reportedly included cutting several thousands jobs in the greater Minneapolis area – where the company headquarters is located. The store chain also announced plans to commit $1 billion to its online sales program to better compete with Walmart and Amazon.

Other retailers to have announced store closings this year include J.C. Penney and Macy’s, which said in September it would close 40 of nearly 800 stores.

List of Target Store Closing Locations

• Austin North East in Austin, Texas
• Suncoast Pasco County in Odessa, Florida
• Casa Grande, Arizona
• Victorville, California
• East Flint in Flint, Michigan
• Columbus Southwest in Columbus, Ohio
• Springfield, Ohio
• Northridge in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
• Superior, Wisconsin
• New Ulm, Minnesota
• Ottumwa, Iowa
• Anderson, Indiana
• Dixie Highway in Louisville, Kentucky

Will you be shopping at the Target going out of business sales at any of the 13 store closing locations? Do Black Friday ads entice you out the door to snag doorbuster deals the day after Thanksgiving?

[Image via Shutterstock.com]