Ta-ta for Target as shop officially closes

TARGET has officially shut shop in Mildura almost 43 years after doors were first thrown open.

The announcement of the closure came in September last year following a decline in sales, with Mildura one of a number of stores converting to Kmart throughout the year and many other locations closing completely.

“We understand these closures will affect a lot of people and we appreciate everyone’s patience and understanding during these challenging times,” a spokesperson for Target said.

“We are proud to have a rich history and are committed to serving our valued customers now and into the future, through our remaining Target stores or online with the same ease and convenience.”

At the time of its opening in 1982, as two separate companies Target Supermarkets and Target Australia Pty Ltd, the Mildura store was the largest in Victoria and the only one operating seven days a week, with a roster of 185 staff, 95 being permanent.

The Sunraysia Daily at the time reported almost 500 people moved through the newly opened doors in an orderly fashion with “no scramble to collect the first bargain”.

The first shopper through the door was Sue Chalmers of Robinvale, who had planned for the opening months in advance and even left for Mildura at 7am that morning to ensure she was the first.

Speaking during the opening to the Sunraysia Daily, Target variety store manager Doug Looker said, “We are delighted with the building and the layout of the Target store, and feel proud to be able to open such a fine store to the public”.

On the staff, he said: “We are lucky in the personnel which have been appointed to the staff, about 98 per cent have been better than their city counterparts, with the remaining two per cent being exceptional”.

Kmart is expected to move from its current location in Mildura City Heart into the now-cleared space once renovations have been completed, with an opening projected for early October.