Target yet to respond to meeting request

Published 10:14 am Friday, December 5, 2014

A group dedicated to keeping Austin’s Target store open have run into a few roadblocks.

Volunteers in a committee to convince Target representatives to keep Target open say they haven’t secured a meeting with Target and are working on a presentation to send to the company’s corporate headquarters. Target announced last month the Austin location was one of 11 stores that will close Feb. 1, 2015.

Danielle Nesvold said the group has put together data and other information to persuade Target officials to change their mind.

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“It’s stuff that we feel like it’s really important for Target to learn,” she said.

Nesvold helped start the movement to save the store with a Facebook page called “Save the Austin, MN Target from closing,” which had 1,851 likes as of Friday morning.

Yet Target officials have not responded to requests to meet, according to Nesvold. In addition, no one from Target showed up to a community forum held in November on the store closing.

After the Facebook group formed in November, Target stood by its decision to close the Austin store.

“We appreciate the interest, but the decision has been made and the store will close effective Feb. 1,” Target spokesman Evan Lapiska wrote in an email to the Herald last month.

Though Nesvold and other volunteers acknowledge it will be difficult to get Target officials reverse their decision, Nesvold said the group will likely push for more local business support if Target sticks to the closing.

“The businesses here come first,” she said.