Target to open its 2,000th U.S. store in North Carolina

The big picture: Target's footprint has climbed steadily from about 1,500 stores in the mid-2000s to roughly 1,950 by 2024 — yet it remains smaller than Walmart's 5,000-plus U.S. locations and trails the major dollar and pharmacy chains, leaving runway for expansion.

• Executives this week during fourth-quarter earnings underscored stores as the backbone of Target's growth strategy, noting they now fulfill 95% of the retailer's digital orders.

Driving the news: The 2,000th store will celebrate its grand opening March 15 in Fuquay-Varina, N.C., Target told Axios.

• Other stores opening the same day include locations in Bakersfield and Delano, California; Springfield, Missouri; and Dallas.
• Target aims to add more than 300 stores by 2035 and is investing $5 billion in capital spending in 2026 to support new stores, remodels and technology upgrades.

Zoom in: The 148,000-square-foot North Carolina store will employ about 160 team members and feature a more than 13,000-square-foot food and beverage department.

• The store near Raleigh features Target's open-layout design and includes Drive Up, Order Pickup and same-day delivery with Target Circle 360, the retailer said.

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