I visited Target locations in New York City and the Midwest. The 2 stores felt like totally different chains.

Talia LakritzJan 14, 2024, 18:07 IST

Target in the Midwest (left) and New York City.Talia Lakritz/Insider

I visited two Target stores, one in Wisconsin and one in New York City, to see how they compared.
The Target in New York was a smaller store where many items were secured on locked shelves.

When I moved from Wisconsin to New York City over 10 years ago, I left the giant superstores of the suburbs behind.

Now, when I make a Target run, I shop at what the company calls a "small-format store" designed specifically for urban neighborhoods.

After announcing nine store closures in four metro areas due to rising retail crime in October, including one location in Manhattan, many Target stores are also ramping up their security with more items stored on locked shelves.

It's been a few years since I've shopped at a larger Target store outside of New York City. On a recent visit home to Wisconsin, I decided to return to the suburban Target of my youth to compare the two locations and shopping experiences.

First, I visited my local Target in Washington Heights — one of 10 locations in Manhattan.

Outside Target in New York City.Talia Lakritz/Insider

Shoppers take an escalator to reach the 25,000-square-foot store.

Escalators at Target in New York City.Talia Lakritz/Insider

Inside, a New York City-inspired mural adorned one of the walls.

A mural at Target in New York City.Talia Lakritz/Insider

Large windows featured views of the busy intersection below.

The view from the window at Target in New York City.Talia Lakritz/Insider

Plastic carry-out bags are banned in New York City, and stores like Target charge 5 cents for reusable bags if you don't bring your own. A sign reminded me of this at the entrance of the store.

Baskets at Target in New York City.Talia Lakritz/Insider

Plastic carry-out bags are banned in New York City, and stores like Target charge 5 cents for reusable bags if you don't bring your own. A sign reminded me of this at the entrance of the store.

The store had a few small shopping carts, but most people carried items around in baskets or reusable bags.

Metal detectors at Target in New York City.Talia Lakritz/Insider

The aisles were short and narrow, but contained a wide variety of items.

Target in New York City.Talia Lakritz/Insider

A small home aisle sold housewares like towels, soap dispensers, and garbage cans.

The home aisle at Target in New York City.Talia Lakritz/Insider

A sign at the front had explained that "secured shelves" helped keep items from getting stolen, and I saw examples of this around the store.

A sign explaining secured shelves at Target in New York City.Talia Lakritz/Insider

Many items were locked in cases that required an employee to open.

A secured ice cream freezer at Target in New York City.Talia Lakritz/Insider

Baby formula was locked up with a sign reading that due to "high demand and limited inventory," customers could only purchase four per person.

Baby formula at Target in New York City.Talia Lakritz/Insider

Personal hygiene products like toothpaste and deodorant were also kept behind lock and key.

Toothpaste at Target in New York City.Talia Lakritz/Insider

Towards the back of the store, a CVS pharmacy offered prescription pick ups and vaccine appointments.

CVS pharmacy at Target in New York City.Talia Lakritz/Insider

The small New York City store featured some produce and pantry essentials, but not a full grocery selection.

Produce at Target in New York City.Talia Lakritz/Insider

A gallon of Target's Good and Gather brand milk cost $3.99.

Milk at Target in New York City.Talia Lakritz/Insider

There were more self-checkout kiosks than cashiers to keep the constantly forming lines moving.

Checkout at Target in New York City.Talia Lakritz/Insider

The small-format Target still served as a one-stop shop, even though it required employees unlocking many of the shelves.

Aisles at Target in New York City.Talia Lakritz/Insider

While I grew up in Wisconsin, I hadn't been to a suburban Target in the Midwest for years and was excited to revisit one.

Target in Wisconsin.Talia Lakritz/Insider

I visited a location in Grafton, Wisconsin, about 20 miles north of Milwaukee, which proved much quieter than the busy streets of New York City.

The parking lot at Target in Wisconsin.Talia Lakritz/Insider

I noticed that the shopping carts were much larger than the ones in New York.

Carts at Target in Wisconsin.Talia Lakritz/Insider

The store also had public restrooms, which my local New York City Target didn't have.

Restrooms at Target in Wisconsin.Talia Lakritz/Insider

I'd forgotten about how suburban Target locations often have Starbucks cafes inside.

Starbucks at Target in Wisconsin.Talia Lakritz/Insider

At 104,000 square feet, the Wisconsin Target was more than double the size of the small-format store in Manhattan.

Aisles at Target in Wisconsin.Talia Lakritz/Insider

The home section consisted of several aisles of decor and furniture in addition to the basics stocked at the Target in New York.

Home goods at Target in Wisconsin.Talia Lakritz/Insider

The grocery section was also much larger, with dozens of wide aisles full of produce, meat, frozen foods, and pantry staples.

Groceries at Target in Wisconsin.Talia Lakritz/Insider

A gallon of milk at the Midwestern Target was cheaper, priced at $3.29.

Milk at Target in Wisconsin.Talia Lakritz/Insider

The CVS pharmacy was about the same size in both locations.

A CVS pharmacy at Target in Wisconsin.Talia Lakritz/Insider

In addition to a larger selection of clothing, the Target in Wisconsin had dressing rooms, which Target in New York did not.

Dressing rooms at Target in Wisconsin.Talia Lakritz/Insider

The most stark difference between the stores, aside from the size, was the fact that none of the items in the Midwest were locked up.

Toothpaste at Target in Wisconsin.Talia Lakritz/Insider

Even the baby formula, which was restricted to four per person in both stores, remained open and accessible on the shelves.

Baby formula at Target in Wisconsin.Talia Lakritz/Insider

Plastic bags haven't been banned in Wisconsin, so the Target there didn't charge for reusable bags.

Plastic Target bags in Wisconsin.Talia Lakritz/Insider

With more space, additional amenities, and no locked shelves, Target in the Midwest felt like a completely different store.

Outside Target in Wisconsin.Talia Lakritz/Insider

Chick-fil-A sells wings through a spinoff restaurant called Little Blue Menu. I tried them and liked them a lot better than CFA's signature chicken sandwich.

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I visited Target locations in New York City and the Midwest. The 2 stores felt like totally different chains.

First, I visited my local Target in Washington Heights — one of 10 locations in Manhattan.

Shoppers take an escalator to reach the 25,000-square-foot store.

Inside, a New York City-inspired mural adorned one of the walls.

Large windows featured views of the busy intersection below.

Plastic carry-out bags are banned in New York City, and stores like Target charge 5 cents for reusable bags if you don't bring your own. A sign reminded me of this at the entrance of the store.

The store had a few small shopping carts, but most people carried items around in baskets or reusable bags.

The aisles were short and narrow, but contained a wide variety of items.

A small home aisle sold housewares like towels, soap dispensers, and garbage cans.

A sign at the front had explained that "secured shelves" helped keep items from getting stolen, and I saw examples of this around the store.

Many items were locked in cases that required an employee to open.

Baby formula was locked up with a sign reading that due to "high demand and limited inventory," customers could only purchase four per person.

Personal hygiene products like toothpaste and deodorant were also kept behind lock and key.

Towards the back of the store, a CVS pharmacy offered prescription pick ups and vaccine appointments.

The small New York City store featured some produce and pantry essentials, but not a full grocery selection.

A gallon of Target's Good and Gather brand milk cost $3.99.

There were more self-checkout kiosks than cashiers to keep the constantly forming lines moving.

The small-format Target still served as a one-stop shop, even though it required employees unlocking many of the shelves.

While I grew up in Wisconsin, I hadn't been to a suburban Target in the Midwest for years and was excited to revisit one.

I visited a location in Grafton, Wisconsin, about 20 miles north of Milwaukee, which proved much quieter than the busy streets of New York City.

I noticed that the shopping carts were much larger than the ones in New York.

The store also had public restrooms, which my local New York City Target didn't have.

I'd forgotten about how suburban Target locations often have Starbucks cafes inside.

At 104,000 square feet, the Wisconsin Target was more than double the size of the small-format store in Manhattan.

The home section consisted of several aisles of decor and furniture in addition to the basics stocked at the Target in New York.

The grocery section was also much larger, with dozens of wide aisles full of produce, meat, frozen foods, and pantry staples.

A gallon of milk at the Midwestern Target was cheaper, priced at $3.29.

The CVS pharmacy was about the same size in both locations.

In addition to a larger selection of clothing, the Target in Wisconsin had dressing rooms, which Target in New York did not.

The most stark difference between the stores, aside from the size, was the fact that none of the items in the Midwest were locked up.

Even the baby formula, which was restricted to four per person in both stores, remained open and accessible on the shelves.

Plastic bags haven't been banned in Wisconsin, so the Target there didn't charge for reusable bags.

With more space, additional amenities, and no locked shelves, Target in the Midwest felt like a completely different store.