Any time I drive down Carothers Road or Memorial Parkway, I crane my neck to look for progress. It’s no doubt the Kroger Marketplace has added a lot to our community, and the Target anchor to the development will only help to cement that shopping center in this market.
The above picture is on the front of the new Target store, which proudly displays the opening date on a Target red blazoned banner.
As I snapped that photo, I saw some workers moving in and out of the store. I decided to walk in like I actually belonged there to poke around and get a better idea of how the layout of the store would work. Below were the fruits of this impromptu project. (Editor’s note: camera having technical difficulties – will post more pictures later, but you get the idea)
My initial thoughts:
1) It’s huge. K Mart near NCC is closed within a year. It’s everything K Mart used to be and wishes it still was. Oh and if you didn’t know, K Mart sucks.
2) Parking lot is a big upgrade over the Kroger Marketplace.
3) What struck me by looking at the way the aisles were labeled, this Target will compete with its neighbor in a lot of ways. Obviously with both of the anchor stores being “super stores” you knew there would be some overlapping business interests, but there are a lot.
For example a pharmacy, a bigger that I thought food section including a fresh produce and grocery section, home items and a Starbucks cafe (which now technically makes for three Starbucks in about a mile radius).
4) Definitely will fulfill a niche in this market as a good, “go-to” store.
5) 14 checkout lines. Not 2, like at K Mart.
As soon as I get over this picture glitch, I’ll make sure to post a few more pictures, so check back for updates.
— On an unrelated Target note, Fort Thomas Matters will be partnering with the YMCA for the last few weeks of the month as they continue to roll out special offers for new member enrollments. Make sure to keep a lookout for these promotions, which will be available on the website, our twitter feed and our email subscription list.
