Major remodel of Target store in Columbus starting, will add a special new tenant

The Target store in Columbus will be kicking off a major remodeling project on Sunday — one of more than 300 such renovations nationwide for the retail company this year — with the finished product including a Starbucks outlet.

The 123,235-square-foot store at 1591 Bradley Park Drive was constructed in 1999 and has had a modest refresh or two, one in particular adding a small food pantry area several years ago. But this one looks to be more extensive, with a contractor already staging work materials and equipment in the parking lot.

Store employees confirmed Friday the remodel will launch Sunday and that it will include the Starbucks. Liz Hancock, with Target’s communications team, also confirmed the renovation and the addition of Starbucks, which already has several outlets in Columbus, including a standalone location nearby. The current snack bar just inside the Columbus Target was closed on Friday in preparation for renovation work.

“The reimagined stores will feature Target’s most ambitious store redesign to date, featuring modernized design elements and bringing more technology and digital experiences to our stores to give guests an experience that’s easy and inspiring,” Hancock said via email.

The Columbus project should be completed sometime this fall, she said, with it including enhanced merchandise presentations to include updated decor, modern fixtures, mannequins, specialty lighting, new overhead lights and fixtures, and an overall improved layout. The order pickup and guest service counter also will be updated, she said.

In a Target Q&A with company executives about what customers can expect with a remodel, the process should be orderly and the end results very noticeable, they said.

“Some stores will even get a center aisle treatment that winds through the middle of the store with displays at varying heights to make them even more eye-catching,” said Joe Perdew, Target’s vice president of store design. “The Beauty department looks like a specialty shop that inspires and invites guests to try the products. And in Home, products are on display in lifestyle settings so guests can imagine what they’ll look like in their own homes.”

Joe Contrucci, Target’s senior vice president of stores, said the store will remain open the entire time and that steps will be taken to minimize noise and distractions.

“You might see certain areas of the store temporarily emptied or curtained off as things shift around, or hear a little background noise from the construction — and we know that can be frustrating, so thanks for bearing with us,” he said. “We try and work on the different parts systematically to make shopping as easy as possible, and our teams go through special trainings to help keep disruption to a minimum while the work is under way.”

The company said in a release earlier this year that it plans to “reimagine” more than 1,000 stores across the United States by the end of 2020. About 325 remodels will be taking place this year, it said, including nearly 30 in its hometown Minneapolis hub, as well as in other large markets such as Los Angeles, New York and Chicago. The current wave of store remodels follows 110 that were completed in 2017.

This story was originally published July 27, 2018 at 5:57 PM.