Shoppers say new Target location is a bull's-eye
BY CHRIS GAETANO
Staff Writer

CHRIS GAETANO The new Target in South Brunswick, located near the intersection of Routes 1 and 522, had its grand opening on Sunday.

SOUTH BRUNSWICK - After more than a year of anticipation, a new Target store held its grand opening on Sunday.

Located near the intersection of Routes 522 and 1, the 140,000-square-foot store saw an immediate flurry of activity from local shoppers who had been eagerly awaiting their opportunity to roam the aisles for bargain merchandise.

The store, which employs 220 people, is flanked by a Starbucks and Pizza Hut to its left and a photo lab to the right. Steve Duerr, the store leader for the site, said that the two franchises there provide something that some other branches do not, and helps make South Brunswick's location a little more distinctive.

Duerr added that the size of the store is about standard for most Targets, which is about as big as the company's Milltown and Princeton stores, but slightly smaller than the Bridgewater location. A larger-than-normal supermarket section was also pointed to as a distinctive trait.

The store's opening had been slightly delayed, with the original date set for sometime in March, due to some lingering issues with the site work. But when the time came for the doors to open, shoppers were eager to get down to business. Many in the store said that the location was especially convenient.

Niraj Tripathi, of North Brunswick, said that before this Target opened, she drove to the Bridgewater store.

"I think it's great because the only Target close by was the one in Bridgewater, and that's too far of a drive, so it's better, because you don't want to go to Wal-Mart all the time. You need a nicer store and you need something closer by, so I'm actually very happy. I was waiting for this store to open," said Tripathi.

The red and white aisles are stocked with typical superstore fare, such as housewares, linens, clothing for all ages and electronics. Kevin Lewis, visiting from out of town, was flipping through the DVDs and said he liked the variety of items available as well as the staff's attitude.

"I think it's great. I'm actually out of town and already found a couple things I couldn't find in my hometown, and the people are very friendly here too," said Lewis, a Virginia resident.

The location and the prices drew Pam Castro-Lee from Monmouth Junction to the store, as it was convenient for her to go right around the corner for her shopping.

"I'm actually very happy that they opened up a Target here, because you have to travel so far to get to the other Targets, and Target is very reasonable," said Castro-Lee.

With positive initial response from customers, Duerr said that he looks forward to serving local shoppers in the future.

"We're eager to be part of the community," said Duerr.