Minnesota-based retailer Target has announced they will be temporarily closing some stores and adjusting store hours amid the protests across the country in the wake of George Floyd’s murder at the hands of police.
Target’s Lake Street store in Minneapolis, where George was killed, was badly damaged and looted during protests.
Subsequently, two Target stores in Atlanta, Georgia were also badly damaged and looted while protestors swooped down on stores in other 30 other cities across the nation.
CEO Brian Cornell published this note on Friday:
We are a community in pain. That pain is not unique to the Twin Cities—it extends across America.
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 a purpose.
On Sunday, Target announce more than 100 stores will be temporarily closed.
They later announced they would only close six stores and will adjust the operating hours of other stores.
The safety of our team and guests is our top priority.
We recognize the important role we play in helping our communities shop for the food, medicine, and other essentials they need. We apologize for the inconvenience and will reopen our stores on their normally scheduled hours as soon as it is safe to do so.
We’re providing community support and prioritizing the rebuilding of our Lake Street store, which is near where George Floyd was killed. We have 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. We are now boarding the store up until we can survey the location and begin recovery efforts.
Below is a list of Target stores that will be closed:
- Broadway Oakland, CA
- Buckhead South Atlanta, GA
- South Loop Chicago, IL
- Lake Street Minneapolis, MN (goal of opening in late 2020)
- Uptown Minneapolis, MN
- Washington Square W Philadelphia, PA
Read the full press release here.
Source: CNN
