Safety concerns prompt Target to temporarily close stores

June 1, 2020

At this time, Target made the decision to adjust store hours or close stores temporarily for the safety of its employees and guests.

"We are a community in pain," said Brian Cornell, Target's chairman and CEO. "That pain is not unique to the Twin Cities — it extends across America. The murder of George Floyd has unleashed the pent-up pain of years, as have the killings of Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor. We say their names and hold a too-long list of others in our hearts. As a Target team, we’ve huddled, we’ve consoled, we’ve witnessed horrific scenes similar to what’s playing out now and wept that not enough is changing. And as a team we’ve vowed to face pain with purpose."

"We recognize the important role we play in helping our communities shop for the food, medicine and other essentials they need," the company said in a statement. "We apologize for the inconvenience and will reopen our stores on their normally scheduled hours as soon as it is safe to do so."

Stores closed until further notice are in Oakland, CA; Atlanta, Chicago, Minneapolis and Philadelphia.

The company said it is providing community support and prioritizing the rebuilding of its Lake Street store in Minneapolis, which is near where Mr. Floyd was killed. It has teams working to provide basic first aid supplies, water and essentials through partnerships with local nonprofits. "We appreciate members of the community and our team who have assisted in cleaning in and around that location," the company said. "We are now boarding the store up until we can survey the location and begin recovery efforts."

Team members are receiving direct communications updates from leaders regarding any store impact where they work. Additionally, team members impacted by store closures will be paid for up to 14 days of scheduled hours during store closures, including COVID-19 premium pay. They will also be able to work at other nearby Target locations.