MARY ESTHER — Wednesday morning, Lalainya Steele pushed her cart down the aisles of Target, keeping a close eye on her busy 2-year-old son.
With a second child on the way, she is trying to encourage his independence. But it’s tiring, she admitted, smiling.
The Fort Walton Beach woman can hardly wait for the store to expand its grocery section, a change that will be completed by June 30.
“I would love it,” she said. “One-stop shopping.
“Since a trip to Target is a treat for us, it would be nice to pick up a few things for dinner, and you get to drink Starbucks while you shop,” she added.
The store on U.S. Highway 98 will be adding most of the grocery item categories typically found in SuperTarget stores, according to Target spokeswoman Kirsten Halloran, who responded to questions by email.
The store will have about 10,000 square feet dedicated to fresh food when the renovation is complete.
Although a tent in the parking lot is filled with construction materials, the building’s footprint will not change. To accommodate the additional grocery items, the apparel and accessories and the home departments will be reduced, according to Halloran.
Other parts of the store also will see some changes. The beauty, shoes and baby departments will get improved lighting and layouts.
Target opened in 1995 and was last remodeled in July of 2006.
The expanded grocery area will include a limited assortment of fresh produce such as bananas, seasonal fruit, carrots and lettuce, as well as fresh meat and pre-packaged baked goods like dinner rolls and pies.
“I’m excited about it,” said Melissa Deloney, who lives nearby and was shopping Wednesday with her young daughter. “We come here all the time. They don’t have fruits and vegetables. It will be nice when they do.”
The work began in early April and is expected to be completed on or before June 30. The renovated store will not require additional employees.
Halloran wrote that the expansion is in response to research and feedback from shoppers.
One of those shoppers was likely a woman from Navarre named Christina, who didn’t want her last name used. The recent transplant from San Antonio, Texas, said there were five SuperTargets there, and she rarely visits the Mary Esther store without mentioning the need for more groceries.
“I probably complain to the cashiers more than I should,” she said. “It’s hard to find everything in one store.”
Contact Daily News Staff Writer Wendy Victora at 850-315-4478 or wvictora@nwfdailynews.com. Follow her on Twitter @WendyVnwfdn.
Contact Daily News Business Editor Dusty Ricketts at 850-315-4448 or dricketts@nwfdailynews.com. Follow him on Twitter @DustyRnwfdn.
