Target will be opening in the former Kmart space at the Bridgehampton Commons — the only question now is when.
“I can confirm that they’ll be joining the center as a tenant, but can’t share any additional details at this time,” says Jennifer Maisch, vice president of marketing and corporate communications at Kimco Realty, which owns the Bridgehampton Commons.
Rumors have been swirling for weeks that Target would be moving into the 90,000-square-foot space that Kmart has occupied since 1999.
Target’s press office did not immediately return a request for comment from Dan’s Papers.
With nearly 2,000 stores nationwide, the closest Target to the South Fork is located in Riverhead, which has been open for more than two decades.
Kmart in Bridgehampton, which is the last full-size store in the longtime American chain, is shuttering next month.
After nearly three decades inside the Bridgehampton Commons, Kmart announced it would close its doors and did so on Oct. 20. Kmart replaced Caldor, a discount department store that had been there since 1983.
A smaller Kmart in Miami remains operational, as do several stores outside of the 50 states, such as one on St. Thomas in the. U.S. Virgin Islands.
Kmart first opened in Garden City, Michigan, back in 1962. By the 1990s, Kmart boasted 2,300 stores around the country with 350,000 employees, according to reports.
Sears Holdings filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2018.
Target’s new commercial neighbors within the Commons will include TJ Maxx and Marshalls, which share a space, Walgreen’s Pharmacy, King Kullen, Go Urgent Health, Ulta Beauty, Panera Bread, Staples, Petco and The Gap. Barnes & Noble opened last year, and Athleta opened its doors in 2022.
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