Anyone who has lived in Dinkytown in the past year knows the heartbreak that occurred when House of Hanson, a local grocery store, closed this past summer. Without House of Hanson, shopping for food has become a chore for many University of Minnesota students who now have to commute for their grocery needs. This great demand for local shopping inspired Target to open a new Beta store called Target Express.

 Target express will hold approximately 15% of what a regular target store holds, focusing on grocery items, health and beauty, small electronics, home décor, and of course, a fan section to cater to University of Minnesota merchandise needs. The dividing factor that will create a larger demographic is the fact that the stores will carry much more fresh groceries and pre made foods popular in the young adult age range. 

Not only will the store be carrying a large amount of goods on hand, but customers will be able to order items to be sent to the store from Target.com, making it less of a hassle when a student has apartment needs.

The much needed store is set to open on July 27th,2014 in perfect time for the 2014-2015 school year at the University. The store will make stocking student dorms with accessories and snacks much easier than this past school year.

The store is a mere blocks away from two of the University’s residence halls, Sanford hall and the newly opened 17^th Avenue Residence Hall. This access will create an easy access shop for the area.

The 20,000 square foot location will be located on the corner of 14^th Avenue and 5^th Street, directly below the new Marshall building, an apartment aimed at student housing. The close proximity to both campus and the neighboring areas will create a large market base for the smallest ever store in the Target brand.

The idea for a TargetExpress stemmed from the recently opened CityTarget that has spread around the country. The success of CityTarget has created knowledge of the grocery store need in urban areas without the large size of a regular Target.

TargetExpress is targeted to "guests who live in urban corridors and are familiar with the Target brand but might not have a way to get to a typical suburban Target setting," Target spokesperson Sarah Van Nevel stated.

The new type of store will be ideal in urban college settings and the Minnesota Based company chose the University of Minnesota to see if the store size is worth spreading to other cities across the United States.

Nevel focused on the close proximity to the company. "Obviously our headquarters is just a few miles from campus, so we'll have access to be a part of the process on a day-to-day basis so we can evaluate" how successful the concept truly is, she said.

“This is an exciting opportunity to test and learn as we continue exploring new ways to meet our guests’ needs and exceed their expectations,” John Griffith, Target’s property development Vice President stated in a release to the public. “Our focus is on ensuring the Target shopping experience is available when, where and how guests want it.

While the company is hoping that this move will open doors for future developments in cities across the United States, most students are happy that there will be a place close enough to grab groceries without having to use major transportation.