Target to open six new stores next month, most larger than average

Five of Target's six openings next month will be larger than the chain's 125,000-square-foot average, and that matters for workers as much as it does for shoppers. Bigger boxes usually mean more departments to staff, more cross-training between sales floor, fulfillment and food, and more chances for current team members to pick up hours or move into lead roles.

The store push sits inside a larger 2026 plan that Target says includes more than 30 new stores this year, more than 300 by 2035 and about $5 billion in capital spending. That money is set to cover new stores, remodels, technology, supply chain investments and hundreds of millions of dollars in extra store payroll and training, a sign that the company is betting on a heavier in-store workload and a deeper bench of hourly workers.

Target's newest-format showcase is the 2,000th store in Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina, a 148,000-square-foot location with a food and beverage department 30% larger than the chain average. The store also includes 24 Drive Up lanes, a CVS Pharmacy, a Starbucks Cafe and a Disney Shop at Target. Target says 92% of shoppers at its newest store format are highly satisfied, and it has described that store as its "future" experience. For employees, that kind of layout can mean more specialty zones, more handoffs and more chances to learn the parts of the business that sit closest to the customer.

The operational stakes are already high. Target says its stores fulfill 95% of digital orders, and Target Circle 360 next-day delivery reaches 80% of the U.S. population. That turns the average store into a fulfillment engine, not just a sales floor, with team members balancing guests in aisles, Drive Up runs and digital picks that have to move fast. In larger stores, that mix can bring steadier hours and more transfer options across food, beauty, pharmacy and fulfillment, but it also raises the pace and complexity of the day.

Target says it works with local officials and guests when choosing sites, and its upcoming-store page says there is a Target within 10 miles of most doorsteps in America. The company says starting wages range from $15 to $24 an hour depending on role and location, with tuition-free education assistance and more payroll and training money tied to the 2026 expansion. The message behind the new square footage is simple: Target is not just adding stores, it is building a larger internal ladder for the people already wearing the red shirt.