Target opens first Selma store, adds 150 jobs in Johnston County

Target’s first Selma store opened with roughly 150 jobs attached, and the company is still recruiting as the new Eastfield Crossing location settles into service near Interstate 95. The 129,000-square-foot store at 551 Saint Mark Avenue held a ribbon-cutting on May 12, marking a soft opening rather than a full, all-at-once debut.

For Target workers, that soft-open approach matters. It usually gives store leaders time to work through traffic patterns, guest flow, fulfillment handoffs and merchandising before the building is under full pressure. In a site built to serve both Johnston County shoppers and commuters moving along I-95, that extra runway can make the first shifts less chaotic and help the store establish routines before volume climbs. Target’s careers site is already listing Selma openings, and the company says it is looking for team members for several new stores opening in 2026.

The Selma location is part of a broader expansion push that includes six new stores opening in May and pushes Target’s North Carolina count to 57. The store is expected to include an Apple at Target, CVS Pharmacy, Starbucks Café and digital order services, with the food section placed in the back of the building in a layout Target has described as unique for this store. That mix points to a store that will need a range of staffing, from front-end guest service to specialty, fulfillment and food-adjacent roles once the building moves past its early ramp-up.

The opening also lands in a development corridor that has been years in the making. Construction at Eastfield Crossing began in 2019, and Johnston County economic development describes the county as the fastest-growing in North Carolina, with more than 205,000 residents and growth of about 10,000 people a year. Target is joining a retail cluster that has already drawn or announced Burlington, Five Below, Hobby Lobby, Marshalls, Old Navy, Ross, Ulta Beauty, JPMorgan Chase and BJ’s Wholesale Club. That kind of concentration can help a new store, because leadership support, staffing flexibility and shared traffic patterns are often easier to manage in a busy retail hub than in a standalone box.

Target’s first Johnston County store had been announced years before the doors opened, making the Selma debut a long-awaited addition for shoppers who previously had to leave the county for a Target run. The ribbon-cutting even featured the Smithfield-Selma High School Spartan Regiment Jazz Band, giving the soft opening a local feel while the store begins building its team and its routine.