First came news that Bridgehampton's Kmart, the former retail giant's last full-sized location in the continental United States, was closing. People immediately took to social media to wonder and wish for whatever would come next — a luxury gym? A community center? A Target? Maybe even Trader Joe's?
On Monday, the now-empty big-box store's future came into clearer focus: Yes, Target is coming to Bridgehampton.
A Kimco Realty spokesperson confirmed Monday to The Star that the retailer, which operates nearly 2,000 stores nationwide, has signed a lease on the 89,935-square-foot space in the heart of the Bridgehampton Commons. "Those are the only details I'm able to share," Jennifer Maisch, Kimco's vice president for marketing and communications, said in an email.
Target did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday, but on its media relations website, a Sept. 30 press release announced nine new stores' opening dates in October along with plans to open 300 more stores in the next decade.
"We aim to reach even more consumers, whether they’re shopping our aisles or using our same-day services like Drive Up, Order Pickup or same-day delivery with Target Circle 360," the retailer said in the Sept. 30 release, which did not mention Bridgehampton.
The retail news both delighted and disappointed people in a region where big-box stores are typically discouraged through municipal building codes, and where mom-and-pop shops are interspersed with and often outnumbered by luxury brands on nearly every South Fork hamlet and village Main Street. Ellen Dioguardi, president of the Sag Harbor Chamber of Commerce, pointed out that locally owned businesses can also offer "just about anything you might be looking for and you'll get personalized service [and] a more relaxed and pleasurable shopping experience."
"The difference between going into a Target type of big-box store and shopping in your local community means when you keep it local you are helping support your neighbors and friends and your entire community," Ms. Dioguardi said. " 'Shop Local' isn't just a saying, it's something that we all need to consider if we want to continue to have privately owned and operated stores where we are more than just the total number on our sales receipt."
This story has been updated since it was first published.