Target Closes 28 Stores in Response to Looting and Riots in Minneapolis

Target was among the area businesses in the Twin Cities that looters broke into.

After the third consecutive night of riots in Minneapolis and St. Paul following the death of George Floyd, Target has temporarily closed 28 of its stores in the area. TJ Maxx, another retailer that has experienced property damage, also has closed a number of stores.

There were reports of looting and property damage at Target’s store near the Minneapolis 3rd Precinct and the Midway Target in St. Paul in recent days. Protests erupted after the death of Floyd, an unarmed black man who had been in police custody. A widely circulated video showed a police officer kneeling on his neck. Riots and fires have continued, despite Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz having activated more than 500 members of the National Guard.

A Target spokesman declined to comment Friday morning about the amount of financial damage that has been caused by looters. As for whether Target will close additional stores in other states, he said there wasn’t any additional information to share at this time.

The spokesman referenced the following statement, “We are heartbroken by the death of George Floyd and the pain it is causing our community. At this time, we have made the decision to close a number of our stores until further notice. Our focus will remain on our team members’ safety and helping our community heal.”

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In addition to its numerous stores in the Twin Cities, Target has its headquarters in Minneapolis and is the state’s largest employer. The retailer has more than 350,000 employees worldwide. The $75.4 billion company has been based in Minneapolis since the first Target store opened there in 1962 under the Dayton Company. The recent closures in the Twin Cities represent a small fraction of the company’s 1,871 stores in the U.S.

A spokesman for TJX, TJ Maxx’s parent company said, “We are heartbroken about the events unfolding in Minneapolis and St. Paul, and hope for peace in the region. As the safety of our associates, customers and the communities we serve is important to us, we have temporarily closed a number of stores in the greater Minneapolis- St. Paul area.”

The TJX spokesman declined to specify how many stores have been shuttered. He said the company is not in a position at this time to share information about the amount of damage caused at the TJ Maxx location in St. Paul. He did not say whether additional stores will be temporarily closed in other states where protests are being held.

In addition to Target, TJ Maxx and numerous other businesses in the greater Minneapolis area, Walgreens, Dollar General and Dollar Tree were also reportedly broken into by looters or damaged in recent days. Executives at those companies did not respond immediately to requests for comment.