Hillsborough Street is set to welcome Target with a new two-story storefront in November, which is being met with both excitement and skepticism from students. The arrival of Target will occur as the renovation of Hillsborough continues.
“Without question, it is going to be a substantial anchor tenant on our street,” said Jeff Murison, executive director of the Hillsborough Street Community Service Corporation. “[Target] is going to attract new and diverse customers… primarily students and staff, but also to neighborhoods adjacent to campus.”
The Minneapolis-based retail chain has expanded to over 1,800 stores in the country. Mark Schindele, senior vice president of properties for Target, says that the company’s expansion is a response to meet a demand and growth within college campuses in urban areas.
“We’re able to serve more guests by adding flexible-format stores near top universities across the country, including the quick-trip shopping experience we’ll provide in 2017 to the North Carolina State University campus,” Schindele said to the Triangle Business Journal.
Confirmed last year, Target is promoting grab and go groceries, dorm and home necessities and NC State-branded apparel and accessories for students at the Hillsborough location. A CVS Pharmacy and order pick up from the Target website and app will also be offered at the store.
“It will be helpful,” said Brittney Craven, a third-year studying elementary education. “My first year, I walked to Harris Teeter in Cameron Village. So, it is nice to have something closer and easily accessible for students.”
The store will be a convenient resource for students as well as people of the Raleigh community, and will allow more people to stay in downtown Raleigh and on continue shopping on Hillsborough Street, according to Murison.
“It will be very user friendly for folks that live downtown,” Murison said. “Instead of getting in your car and driving out, you could take an Uber out to the Target on Hillsborough Street, shop and eat in a fraction of the time with less hassle. It will clearly be a big asset.”
Target is being built on the former site of The Alley bowling center. The Alley had been in operation on Hillsborough since the 1960s and closed last November. Owners of the Alley are now in the works of opening a new bowling alley in Durham.
“I had been bowling there before with my friends from the area,” said Jack O’Connor, a first- year studying psychology. “I do miss the bowling alley. However, I’m very excited to not have to travel to get my school needs.”
Although there is anticipation for Target, there are still some lingering concerns about the developments on Hillsborough Street.
“It seems to add to the perpetual construction happening on Hillsborough,” O’Connor said. “Also, more gigantic corporations on Hillsborough removes some of the uniqueness of it. I’m concerned about traffic over there.”
Despite the skepticism, Target is set to become a new and popular destination on Hillsborough Street when it opens to students and the community in the middle of November.
“I will shop there at first for the novelty,” O’Connor said. “Subsequently, I will go there because it seems like it will be very useful and a great way to get school supplies.”
