June 16, 2015
Target Corp. is planning to open a smaller version of its store at the Boyd Theater development site at 19th and Chestnut streets in July 2016, a company spokeswoman confirmed to The Inquirer Monday.
The new TargetExpress, a smaller urban store concept, will offer groceries, beauty items and other goods.
Target's website describes the TargetExpress store as a quick destination that serves up "a tightly edited assortment of merchandise, including fresh produce, grab-and-go food and snacks, pharmacy, home and seasonal items, electronics, beauty and more."
Philadelphia's store will be 21,000 square feet over two floors, about 16 percent as big as a typical Target store, [Erika] Winkels said. The 19th and Chestnut location places it in the Raymond Pace Alexander building, a historic two-story structure that would be enlarged through construction of an adjacent three-story retail building, according to the most recent plans.
"It's a block from Rittenhouse Square. There's a ton of existing retail, lots of pedestrian traffic," Target spokeswoman Erika Winkels told The Inquirer. "We've got a greater opportunity to serve those guests who are maybe not as able to drive to a full Target store in a suburb."
Target announced in January that it was looking to bring as many as four of the smaller grab-and-go TargetExpress stores to the Philadelphia marketplace. The company is believed to be looking for at least one other Center City location.
