Target to open 8th store at Kukui Grove Center on Kauai
COURTESY JLL
Target is expected to open an eighth store at Kukui Grove Center on Kauai.
Another Target store — the eighth for Hawaii — is slated to open at Kukui Grove Center in Lihue, Kauai.
Target has signed a lease to occupy about 122,000 square feet of the former Kmart space at the center’s Kukui Marketplace, according to David Sosner, general manager of Kukui Grove Center. It will be the first Target for the Garden isle.
“The potential arrival of Target has been a buzz in the community for years, and we are excited to be able to deliver this new offering to Kauai consumers,” said Sosner in a news release. “We think it will be a wonderful addition to our mix of retailers, restaurants and specialty services at Kukui Grove and offer a new shopping experience that we don’t currently have available on Kauai.”
Sosner said the new addition will bring a substantial building renovation project and new jobs, boosting the local economy.
Kukui Grove Center is an open-air center currently home to Macy’s, Ross, Longs Drugs, and Times Supermarket, along with dozens of shops, restaurants, banks and services. Kmart closed its Kauai store, its last one to close in Hawaii, in September 2018.
Lauren W. Stilley, vice president of national retail leasing for JLL, negotiated the deal representing Kukui Grove Center.
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“Having such a beloved brand join our growing roster of retailers at Kukui Grove Center is a tremendous boost for our community,” said Stilley in the news release. “There is strong demand for accessible quality retail that offers a convenient shopping experience on island. Their new store will be a welcome addition and make an immediate impact.”
JLL, which also manages the property, says it has upgraded the center over the past three years with a food court renovation, a new Keiki Korner Play Area, and specialty leasing program that has brought more entrepreneurs and nonprofits to the retail lineup.
Target, which entered the Hawaii market in 2009, currently has four stores on Oahu, one on Maui, and two on Hawaii island.
The Minneapolis-based retailer said it opened 30 new locations across the U.S. this year, from the Upper West Side of Manhattan to Los Angeles’ Sunset Boulevard, with safety measures in place that include hand sanitizer stations, plexiglass checkout shields and social distancing signs.
The Kauai store is listed on Target’s list of future store openings, along with other locations in California, Florida and New York. No opening date for the new Target on Kauai has been set yet.
