Hawthorne’s Target is one of the temporarily closed stores nationwide due to protests
Many Target stores were closed until further notice because of the George Floyd protests, the company said Sunday, and about 200 may have shortened hours because of violence attached to the protests over the death of George Floyd.
The American retailer went from listing more than 100 temporary store closures in dozens of U.S. cities Sunday morning to just six temporary closures in its most recent update — then announced adjusted hours to deal with the protests.
These closures include 46 stores in California, and the stores will also adjust hours, according to another update Sunday from Target. The Oakland store will keep closed until further notice, Target said.
In an interview Sunday with The New York Times, Joshua Thomas, a Target spokesman, said the number of stores with either shortened hours or temporary closures was at about 200 but changing frequently, and he did not provide a breakdown of locations or the new hours.
The company's website didn’t mention shortened hours, making it unknown whether Target had changed its message again about closings and hours since talking to the Times. The company did not immediately respond to a message from Patch.
"The safety of our team and guests is our top priority," a statement on the Target website said. "At this time, we are making the decision to adjust store hours or close stores temporarily. We recognize the important role we play in helping our communities’ shop for food, medicine and other essentials they need."
"We are heartbroken by the death of George Floyd and the pain it is causing communities across the country," Target said in news release. "At this time, we have made the decision to close a number of our stores. We anticipate most stores will be closed temporarily."
In Minnesota, 33 stores are closed; 47 are closed in California, seven are closed in Illinois, and the rest are closed in various other states. The number has been changing as more locations have been closed, and presumably will change again as stores seek to reopen.
"Our focus will remain on our team members' safety and helping our community heal," Target said in the news release.
The Minneapolis store, located near the epicenter of the protest in Minnesota, was one of multiple area businesses looted by protesters. Volunteers wearing masks and gloves were seen cleaning outside the store on Thursday morning.
