Union Square Target Opens As Other NYC Store Shuts Over Theft Issues

UNION SQUARE, NY — Not one month after Target announced the closure of one of its uptown stores citing rising shoplifting and safety concerns, a new location opened elsewhere in the Big Apple.

The 33,000-square-foot store at 10 Union Square East was ushered into existence by none other than Mayor Eric Adams on Tuesday during a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The new store features a CVS Pharmacy counter and same-day delivery.

There are over a dozen other Target locations in Manhattan. The closest location to the new store is about a 12 minute walk away at 500 E 14th St.

Fanfare aside, the new store comes on the heels of bitter news from the big red retail giant.

In September, Target announced it would be closing nine U.S. locations — including its East Harlem store on East 117th St. near Pleasant Avenue — on Oct. 21 due to thefts and “organized retail crime” threatening worker safety.

"Theft and organized retail crime are threatening the safety of our team and guests," Target said in a statement.

"We know that our stores serve an important role in their communities, but we can only be successful if the working and shopping environment is safe for all."

Before making the "difficult decision," Target officials said they invested heavily in strategies to prevent and stop theft and organized retail crime in our stores such as adding more security team members, using third-party guard services and implementing theft-deterrent tools.

"Despite our efforts, unfortunately, we continue to face fundamental challenges to operating these stores safely and successfully," the company said.

A new location in East Harlem is planned for West 125th Street near Lenox Avenue, though an opening date has yet to be announced.

In East Harlem, petit larceny is down 4.5 percent compared with this time last year. Citywide, petit larceny is down 4.3 percent.

In Manhattan’s 13th precinct (spanning 14th to 30th streets), where the new Target store is located, petit larceny is down 7.9 percent year-over-year. However, more recently, the same crime was up 73.3 percent from Sept. 25 to Oct. 1, 2023 (53 petit larcenies) compared with Sept. 25 to Oct. 1, 2022 (30 petit larcenies).