Target Expansion to be Complete by Fall 2012

The expansion is well underway with crews working around the clock and the building's outward appearance changing daily it seems.

According to Target officials, the store's expansion into the next-door space formerly occupied by Marshall's and Payless Shoes, will likely be complete and open in the fall of this year.

The expanded Target will include an expanded fresh food layout featuring meat, frozen foods, pre-packaged bakery items and produce, according to Target's public relations department.

"We'll have an exact date to share next month," Target PR official Kristen Jahnke told Patch.

Here, a photo of the expanded food section at a Target store in Sarasota, Florida gives an idea of what the Clark expansion will look like when complete.

Target piloted this new expanded food format, which they call PFresh, in 2008 at two existing stores in Minnesota. Based on the program’s success, Target began testing the new layout at several other locations across the country in early 2009.

The expanded food layout includes an open-market grocery layout, offering a 50 to 200 percent increase in food over what existed prior to the remodels. New food additions include items such as bananas, strawberries and bagged lettuce; ground beef, chicken and pork; baked goods and dairy. The stores also offer a dry, dairy and frozen assortment and convenience foods such as snacks and beverages.

A Target news release explains that "the expanded fresh food selection offers families the best attributes of grocery shopping in the convenience of their local Target store. Busy guests can pick up a handpicked selection of fresh food during midweek errand running, allowing them to complete all their shopping in one trip."

“Among need-based categories, grocery continues to lead the way with double-digit comps as we continue to add square footage in our remodeled stores and our general merchandise guests increasingly associate Target with food,” said Kathryn A. Tesija, executive vice president of merchandising in a recent news release.

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