In the weeks leading up to the first Target store in Vermont (when we’ll be in all 50 states!), we’re sharing Target highlights, history-making moments and more from each state we’re in. In our first story, we brought you stories from Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Indiana, Kentucky, Nevada, Texas and Wisconsin. This week, settle in for round two of the series with Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Oregon, South Dakota and Utah.
Did you know? Hawaii is one of the states leading in Target store sustainability thanks to a major push in solar installations and electric vehicle stations. With so many sunny days per year, Hawaii Targets decided to take advantage of the natural resource by installing rooftop solar panels that offset one-third of each store's energy usage. And for electric car owners, charging stations at the seven Hawaii stores let guests drive up, plug in and shop.
Illinois
The holiday shopping season is hectic for everyone, but can be especially daunting for guests who are elderly, disabled or need special attention. In 1973, Moline, Illinois, Target store manager Jim Simms dreamt up a program that would make holiday shopping easy and fun for all guests. He sent a special invite to senior citizens and guests with disabilities and had store team members lend an extra helping hand while they shopped the holiday assortment. More than 40 years later, the Holiday Helpers shopping program lives on as stores across the country host the annual event, which also offers free gift wrapping and holiday treats!
Iowa
Today, many Target stores across the country sell beer, wine and liquor. But that wasn't always the case! When stores in Iowa started selling beer in 1972, it was an immediate hit. In fact, the Mason City store sold 1,600 six-packs within five hours! Fast-forward 24 years, an Iowa store made history again when the SuperTarget in Davenport was the first store to get a full liquor license. Nowadays, stores in Iowa and across the country sell local and national brands, including only-at-Target favorites like California Roots. Cheers!
Louisiana
Thirteen years ago, after Hurricane Katrina wreaked havoc on the Gulf Coast, Target launched a critical part of its crisis response strategy: The Corporate Command Center (C3). Operating 24/7, the Minneapolis-based center monitors severe weather and other events around the globe that could impact guests and team members. C3 brings together representatives from all areas of the business, a cross-functional group called the Green Team, so we can respond quickly to nearly any situation… like when Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and the surrounding area was hit by devastating flooding in August 2016. With six stores and more than 1,000 team members in the area, it was a crisis that hit close to home. Target donated $400,000 to help assist the American Red Cross, Salvation Army, local schools, food banks and other nonprofits. Four months later, when the Baton Rouge East Target reopened (it was the hardest-hit, with 29 inches of standing flood water), it had undergone a complete store makeover. With a revamped Guest Service and Order Pickup counter, Home and Grocery upgrades and a new Starbucks, it was just one way to welcome back the community.
Maryland
When a small-format Target store opened at the University of Maryland College Park campus in July 2015, it couldn't have come at a better time. The bustling college town wasn’t lined with places for students to shop, grab food to go or pick up affordable dorm supplies. At nearly 15,000 square feet, the store fits at a critical intersection where campus meets downtown. According to store sales, students stop by most often in the evening and are shopping for Food and Beverage items. Sounds like dinner to us!
Massachusetts
In April 2013, the Watertown Target lent a helping hand to Boston police officers as they searched for and ultimately tracked down the Boston Marathon bomber. Boston Police Commissioner William Gross, who’s had a long history of working with the city’s Target stores on events, partnerships and more, remembers the night. “We were in Watertown searching for the second terrorist, and our officers needed flashlights, batteries and other supplies. Target was doing inventory that night, so one of my officers simply knocked on the door and there were no questions asked—the team members immediately supplied officers with whatever they needed to facilitate the search. The following morning, Target again supplied our officers with water, food, medicine, phone chargers and more,” he recalls. As for how their partnership is today, Commissioner Gross says it’s better than ever. “Not only does Target take care of their community, they take care of their law enforcement community, as well. Working with Target has been one of the best private sector partnerships we’ve ever had.”
Oregon
Built in 1910 as the Olds, Wortman & King department store, the Portland Galleria building was converted into a shopping center in the mid-1970s and placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1991. So when Target made plans to open up shop inside the building, it was no small job. Major renovations helped preserve and match the historic exterior, while interior renovations made room for the three-floor store. The Galleria Target officially opened in 2013 and even won an American Institute of Architects Special Award for Adaptive Reuse!
South Dakota
Ever wonder where Target gift cards and REDcards are made? It all takes place at the Target Card Services facility in Sioux Falls, South Dakota! They handle everything from processing new gift cards (Target holds approx. 150 design and utility patents on gift cards!), to printing and mailing card statements, new REDcard applications and more. Yet even with all that on their plate, the team still has time to give back to their local community. Each month, the Target Volunteer Council at Target Card Services delivers meals for Meals on Wheels, and in 2018, they got involved in seven additional volunteer projects.
Utah
When a family moves to a military base in a new state, the adjustment period can be tough. That's why Target is here to help. With not one, but two stores less than a 10-minute drive from the Hill Air Force Base in Ogden, Utah, families have everything they need to create a comforting home, shop for groceries, pick up household supplies and more. And that's just one way Target supports our military and veterans. Through our Military Business Council, we're able to provide resources and support to team members with military connections, and as a member of the Veteran Jobs Mission, we're working with other top companies to hire 1 million veterans by 2020!
Stay tuned to A Bullseye View to follow along with our 50 States of Target series!