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Target of Benton Harbor Reportedly Slated for Closure in 2018

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It’s a story very few among us could have predicted by any measure. Word in the street rolled out this afternoon that Target of Benton Harbor would be closing up shop. The news was met with incredulity on seemingly every front, with many wondering if it was a hoax. My colleagues on the WSJM News team however have reportedly gained confirmation from a store manager at the Benton Harbor location in the Fairplain Plaza, that indeed, the popular retailer would cease operations here on February 3, 2018.

The closing rumors spread rapidly, but hit a dead end from even the economic development team at Cornerstone Alliance, who were caught off guard as well. In fact, Cornerstone Alliance President Rob Cleveland issued the following statement:

“Cornerstone Alliance has not received any notification or confirmation of a store closing. However, if this is the case, and we hope it is not, our primary focus will always be on those who unfortunately will lose their jobs. Our workforce partner, Kinexus, has programs in place to help displaced workers. 

It is no secret that the retail landscape is changing, and at a rapid pace.  Consumers are more educated, and have more options than ever before.  We are fortunate to have a number of globally-recognized retail providers, including two Michigan-based Meijer stores.

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We operate in a highly competitive marketplace and the competition to recruit new people and new companies is at an all-time high. The competitive nature is why Cornerstone Alliance spends valuable resources working with existing companies to create new jobs. We’ve worked with more than a dozen companies this year to create more than 100 new primary jobs that pay a living wage and support Berrien County families. Benton Charter Township has a history of taking business-friendly actions to recruit and retain companies and jobs, and we will continue to work closely with them to bring more opportunities to the community.

Cornerstone Alliance will collaborate with the Cornerstone Chamber of Commerce as well as Benton Charter Township, Kinexus, and the owner of Fairplain Plaza, Lormax Stern, to work quickly to fill any vacant space so it continues to provide maximum benefit to our residents.”

WSJM’s news team was unable to gain any further details regarding the isolated selection of the Target in the Fairplain Plaza. The only other announcement from Target headquarters in Minneapolis was the closure of a store in Kansas.

One poster on the Yelp! review site summed up a lot of people’s responses:

“I just heard that this store is closing in February and would like to be heard on why I do not think it should be. So very many people shop here, including me and I know they make money.I use this store to buy my friends their baby shower gifts, bridal gifts and any other gifts for others. I absolutely love that they don’t mark up everything and I go there especially because everything is reasonable even if some nights it’s super messy. This is my haven whether I have my child with me or not BC if she’s screaming, the store is so large it doesn’t matter and if I’m by myself I could wander for hours and always spend $50+ no matter what. Please do not take this store away from us in February because it is really all we have left besides Meijer and TJMaxx and none can compare. I don’t like looking through rows of random clothes and don’t want to wear Meijer clothes when I’m feeling desperate!”

Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.