Target comes to Harlem

Target has opened a new store in Harlem. From today's NY Times:

...As Wal-Mart and Target try to win over city dwellers, philanthropy is now a standard part of their plans, said Dan Otero, a partner at Launch Collective, a fashion and retail consulting firm. “Whether they’re effective or not, at least there is change taking place in how big businesses like Target are approaching their consumers,” he said.

Target began laying the groundwork for the Harlem store in the early 2000s, and as the opening day drew closer, it stepped up its efforts. It financed a refurbishment of the library at P.S. 155 on East 117th Street in 2008, repainting and relighting the library and donating books, furniture and equipment.

It donated money to design and redevelop a rundown lot on East 117th Street that is now known as the Target East Harlem Community Garden. In 2008, it began sponsoring free admission at the Studio Museum in Harlem on Sundays, and free admission every third Saturday to El Museo del Barrio. “As they were planning the Harlem store, they made a big and very admirable effort to get to know the community on all levels,” said Thelma Golden, director of the studio museum...

The complete article