Where is the Target?
Growing up in Rome, the nearest Target to my house was in Cartersville. And 21 years later, I’m still in the same situation. There is no Target in Rome!
So we need to stop talking about Taylor Swift for a second long enough to talk about why I have to drive thirty minutes just so I can experience Narnia (also known as Target to those not familiar with The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe).
There are a total of 1,790 Target stores in the United States. In Georgia alone there are over 50 but not a single Target in Rome, GA which now has a population of over 35,000 people and is one of the largest cities in Northwest Georgia.
During my furious research on how many Target stores are NOT in the town I live in, I learned something incredibly cool about Target; while selling my favorite swimsuits and sweaters, they also care deeply about their communities. Target set a goal in 2012 to increase their sustainability practices in the coming years. In 2014, they provided a Sustainability Report in order to showcase what the improvements have been. Here are some of the highlights:
Target increased their organic food offerings by 26 percent as of 2012, which is one percent higher than their goal and three years ahead of their set date of 2017. Among the products Target offers, the line they expanded most was their Simply Balanced organic food selections.
Another Target goal was to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 10 percent per square foot by 2015. As of 2014, Target had reached 7 percent reduction per square foot.
Not only does Target care about their products and impact on the environment, they also care about their employees. By 2014, Target increased their team members, spouses, and domestic partners biometric screening participation by 78 percent. The percentage is a drastic increase from the 24 percent participation number in 2011. Now employees and their loved ones will be actively screening for their risks of preventable chronic diseases.
Target’s Take Charge of Education program has also given money to schools nationwide in order to benefit education. As of 2014, Target has donated $419 million to more than 84,000 schools in the United states.
By the time I graduate college in 2017, we still will probably not have a Target in Rome, Ga. While I may be bitter, I will still travel the thirty-minute distance in order to buy striped shirts and be able to eat popcorn while I browse wonderland.