Which Target Stores Are Closing? Seattle, Portland Among Locations

Retail giant Target said it plans to close some of its stores across the U.S. because of theft and organized crime.

Nine stores will close in total, including three in the San Francisco Bay Area, one in East Harlem, New York, three in Portland, Oregon, and another two in Seattle. In a statement released in September, the retailer said it was making the "difficult decision" to close the shops due to concerns regarding "the safety of our team and guests."

"At Target, we take the decision to close stores very seriously, and only do so after taking meaningful steps to invest in the guest experience and improve business performance," the statement reads. "We have made the difficult decision to close nine Target stores across four states, effective October 21. In this case, we cannot continue operating these stores because theft and organized retail crime are threatening the safety of our team and guests, and contributing to unsustainable business performance. We know that our stores serve an important role in their communities, but we can only be successful if the working and shopping environment is safe for all."

The company said it had "invested heavily in strategies to prevent and stop theft and organized retail crime" before making the decision. It added more security staff and installed anti-theft tools, but said the closing stores "face fundamental challenges."

According to a report by USA Today, all Target staff employed at the nine locations have been offered jobs at other stores.

Target CEO Brian Cornell said earlier this year that closing branches of Target was something the company wanted to avoid. Speaking to CNBC, he said: "We do not want to close stores. We know how important our stores are. They create local jobs, they generate taxes, they're very important for those local shoppers, and they play a critical role in communities across the country."

He described retail theft as "a worsening trend that emerged last year," and confirmed an increase in violent incidents taking place at Target's stores. "The problem affects all of us, limiting product availability, creating a less convenient shopping experience, and putting our team and guests in harm's way," he said.

The chain has also faced backlash over the past year for selling items related to the LGBTQ+ community.

Harlem, New York - 517 E. 117th St

The Harlem store, located on the bank of the Harlem River near Thomas Jefferson Park.

Seattle University Way - 4535 University Way NE

The Target store serving the area around the University of Washington in Seattle.

Seattle Ballard - 1448 NW Market St.

The West Woodland branch of Target will close on October 21.

San Francisco - 1690 Folsom St.

One of three California stores that will close, the Folsom Street store serves the Mission District of San Francisco.

Oakland Broadway and 27th - 2650 Broadway

Across the San Francisco Bay, the Target store in Oakland is also due to close next month.

Pittsburg - 4301 Century Blvd.

The third and final Target store to close in San Francisco is the Pittsburg store.

Portland Galleria — 939 SW Morrison St.

Portland will face three store closures, one of which is in the center on Morrison Street.

Portland Powell — 3031 SE Powell Blvd.

The Creston Kenilworth branch of Target will also close on October 21.

Portland Hollywood — 4030 NE Halsey St.

The final Portland branch facing closure is the Hollywood store.