Target Announces Intent to Sell Alcohol, Retreating on Early Pledge Not to

There’s a new sign adorning the windows of the Ocean Beach Target that has taken some residents aback. It’s a Public Notice announcing an application to sell alcoholic beverages within the giant corporate store.

Given the store’s controversial opening 6-7 years ago, the intent to sell alcohol is just one more slap in the face of the community where many residents rose up to oppose its opening. How so?

Back in 2017, Target officials pledged that the new store would not open with alcohol for sale. It was a big issue for OBceans at the time. As an opposition group stated on their website:

Further concern lies in Target’s expected stocking of alcohol. Unneeded in our community is yet more off-site alcohol sales; the community is already over-saturated by about 300%.

Both the OB Town Council and the OB Planning Board came out and “oppose[ed] any future permits for the off-site sale of alcohol across the Ocean Beach….”

In September of 2017, the OB Town Council issued a statement, part of which stated:

Further, we fully support the Ocean Beach Planning Board’s decision to oppose any future permits for the off-site sale of alcohol across the Ocean Beach planning area, which includes the proposed Target location. …

If the owners of the Antique Mall building and Target Corporation continue to move forward with their lease agreement, disregarding the clear and expressed will of the community, the OBTC would call on the Target Corporation to uphold, abide, and respect the resolution of the Ocean Beach Planning Board and OBTC to refrain from off-site sales of alcohol.

Many OBceans, community groups and businesses at the time believed that this pledge by Target would last. But even back in 2017, the “No Target in OB” group acknowledged this:

In an August 2nd [2017] community meeting, Target officials claimed that the store will not open with alcohol for sale, but refused to confirm that alcohol would not be sold on their shelves in the future.

Now, nearly 7 years later, Target plans to offer booze.

July 5, 2017 the OB Rag breaks the news that Target is moving onto OB’s main commercial street, Newport Avenue. The very next day, a petition started on Change.org to keep Target out of Ocean Beach.

A poll on an OB facebook on the issue involving over 500 respondents resulted in 70% opposed to the store, checking the box for “Terrible. Keep OB Local.” Check out this post about one of the first community meetings where many came out in opposition to Target.

In April of 2018, the Rag summarized the early resistance to Target.

No to Target protest march down Newport Ave., Aug. 30, 2017. Photo credit: Frank Gormlie

And the “No Target in OB” campaign immediately heated up: a Petition against the store moving into OB was begun, and The James Gang even printed “No Target” T-shirts by the end of July.

Fueling opposition to Target is OB’s long history of an anti-corporate attitude. The opposition in the community was clearly demonstrated at the first public gathering on the issue, an early August special forum of the OB Planning Board – most in the audience were against the mega-store coming to OB.

By mid-August the opposition jelled into a formal organization, the No to Target group’s facebook page was set up – and the first protest was held on August 30th, with a large crowd marching down Newport Avenue and rallying in front of the Antique Center.

OB Planning Board forum on Target, August 2017. Those standing and clapping are doing so in opposition to Target. Many of those sitting are Target employees.

Another large crowd opposed to Target was in attendance at the OB Town Council’s forum on the store on August 23rd. By early October, the boycott of Target was officially launched.  The OB Rag posted a pictorial gallery of the South Park Target Express to show what OB could expect.

The campaign against Target Express has quieted down recently, perhaps due to the 3-month reprieve given the vendors, or perhaps due to hope based on speculation that Amazon would buy out Target – which didn’t materialize.  Or maybe it’s the realization that the corporate behemoth would have its way – despite the community’s expressed opposition. Maybe it’s just a resignation to this reality. Now that the vendors are actually leaving – we’ll see if the opposition re-emerges and rears its head to save OB’s sanctity.

In April of 2018, Target promised to close at 5 pm, in their effort to secure the old Antique store and please the city. By early November, Target made it official that it was moving into OB.

And that December, without community input and behind closed doors, the city made arrangements with Target to get past certain restrictions — mainly parking requirements.

Target did open, of course and by July of 2019, the Rag reported:

Opposition to the new Target on Newport Avenue in Ocean Beach has rekindled and activists have shifted gears in their approach to the behemoth retail magnet opening its doors in one of the most anti-corporate neighborhoods in San Diego.

After a slumber of over a year, the anti-Target campaign has jumped back onto the streets of OB with the main focus now of building support for local independent businesses and to prevent “further corporate takeover”.

A demonstration is being planned for this Sunday July 28th, in fact, by the activists who are asking fellow OBceans to come out at noon and show their support of our local merchants. It will be in front of the Target, at 4864 Newport Ave. Organizers are asking people to make signs for some of their favorite local businesses.

About a dozen people showed up at Target’s opening last Sunday with the message of “protect our community” and “shop local.”

The protests and opposition to Target have all died down by now, although there are plenty of locals who still do not shop there. This new retreat on Target’s earlier pledge not to sell alcohol has all the markings of a true corporate giant’s decision-making process. Bottom line is what’s important.