By 1987, suburban shopping centers with its large free parking areas became a focal point of American life. At the time the 30000 centers and malls were responsible for half of each retail dollar spent. Regardless of its size these new malls proved irresistible to consumers.However, only a couple of miles from the newly conjoined Valley Fair sat the former Mervyn’s Plaza.
This was one of the exceptions to the success formula, which has turned into a large graveyard of previously thriving retail chains. It turned big box stores into large pine boxes. Mervyn’s was declared insolvent during 2008. However Santa Clara decided to repeal its anti-big box rule and this has prompted a 140000ftІ Target to become the center’s newest tenant. The mayor of the city believes that Target will draw crowds which will bring business to the other stores that have been struggling for years.
Target is set to create around 200 new jobs when it opens during the fall. Along with it will come a dozen new chain stores and a similar number of restaurants, such as Chipotle, Panera and Peet’s. When the $30m facelift was announced four years ago, the loyalists, mostly immigrant merchants started counting the days to when Target would move in and the parking lot would once again be full.
