Target to close 9 stores, including 3 in the San Francisco Bay Area, citing safety concerns

By ANNE D’INNOCENZIO
AP Retail Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Target says it’s closing nine stores in four states, including one in New York City’s East Harlem neighborhood, and three in the San Francisco Bay Area. It says theft and organized retail crime have threatened the safety of its workers and customers. The closings will be effective Oct. 21 and will also include three stores in Portland, Oregon and two in Seattle. The Minneapolis retailer said Tuesday it will offer affected workers the opportunity to transfer to other stores. The store closings account for just a fraction of the 1,900 stores Target operates nationwide. But they underscore the challenges that retailers face in reducing theft in stores as they wrestle with protecting their workers and customers while trying to serve the community.