Beloved Target store is demolished 20 years after first opening as ‘abandoned’ customers are left with few other options
Demolition of another closed retail store is underway.
Georgia said goodbye to another Target location when the building collapsed last Monday.
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A crew was seen razing the brick building, leaving behind a large pile of weeds.
The decision to vacate the premises came after the store closed in 2018.
Kristy Welker of Target Communications spoke about the difficult decision to close the struggling location years ago.
“We have a rigorous process to evaluate the performance of each store annually and, if necessary, close or relocate underperforming locations,” she noted.
The representative said financial losses could have been a significant factor.
“Typically a store closes because profitability has declined over several years,” Welker told 13 WMAZ News.
The shopping area was opened over 20 years ago and has been home to a variety of shops ever since.
According to 13WMAZ, many buyers feel like businesses are leaving the area and moving elsewhere.
Target is one of many retailers nationwide downsizing its fleet.
Both Dick’s Sporting Goods and HH Gregg opened and closed locations in the same mall.
Some observers have called the series of closures a “retail apocalypse.”
But Georgians are not convinced that all businesses are gone for good.
Locals pointed out that some of the businesses had started relocating after new malls opened in the area.
There is now only one Target left in central Georgia, forcing shoppers to commute farther if they need to visit the popular store.
Target still owns the property where the store will be demolished, but the company has not yet announced plans for the future of that space.
The Macon-Bibb Planning and Zoning organization said no new plans have been submitted for the business park.
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