In the Highland Village, one can get a cup of coffee, watch a movie, enjoy lunch, or buy gifts. Many St. Paul Academy and Summit School students live near the village, and visit frequently. Recently, the Barnes & Noble in the village was closed, and is going to be replaced with TargetExpress. While it may seem like a good idea to have a Target store in the area, it will hurt the village. Currently, Lunds & Bylerlys is the grocery market in the village, and Walgreens is the convenience store and pharmacy. Both of these stores have a wide variety of merchandise that meet the community’s needs, which is why there aren’t any other stores like them.

TargetExpress, the smallest type of Target store, will be selling a majority of the items that could be found in Walgreens or CVS, along with fresh produce and meat. Given this, it will  be a combination of a convenience and grocery store, both of which the village already has. TargetExpress will compete with Lunds & Bylerlys, since it’s only a block away and is not in a large plaza. Not only this, but it will take Walgreens’ customers, since it’s less expensive and right across the street.

TargetExpress is expected to be completed by June of 2015. With the Ford Plant developments still taking shape, it might be the more affordable and accessible option for the potential residents of the new neighborhood. But what will happen to the other businesses? Customers will be lost, sales will be down, and in the long run, jobs could be lost and stores closed. While many people may buy their groceries at TargetExpress, shopping at local businesses if possible will benefit the village.