Southampton Town may have insisted on gray for the exterior of the Bridgehampton Target, but there was a sea of red at the store’s V.I.P. opening event on Tuesday, when the retail giant rolled out an actual red carpet for red-shirted employees and their guests before opening the registers for the first time at 5 p.m.
By that point, with doors still open only to invited guests, a single checkout line stretched halfway to the back of the store. Whether it was the novelty of the new location or the fact that every shelf and rack and refrigerator was neatly and completely stocked, Target insiders were ready to shop. Greeted with a balloon arch and a D.J. and plied with bursting charcuterie boards, platters of wraps, heroes, and doughnuts, and tables of snacks and soft drinks, guests were free to roam the store and explore its offerings for two hours without the frenzy that was to come once the general public realized the long-awaited opening had happened a few days earlier than telegraphed.
At just under 90,000 square feet, the Bridgehampton store is about 50 percent smaller than other Targets opening across the country this fall, but has most of the amenities of its larger cousins. It will offer drive-up and instore order pickup and same-day delivery — the first time South Fork customers will be able to take advantage of the latter.
Inside is a CVS Pharmacy and a Starbucks, as well as a grocery section with produce, frozen foods, and dried goods. The layout is similar to that of Kmart before it, with groceries in the rear of the store.
“We’re right in between what would be called a small-format store and a regular G.M. [general merchandise] sized store,” explained Adriana Fitzpatrick, the store director. “But with the format . . . we really were able to fit all the single departments in the store. We also have a fairly decent-sized grocery section, which I’m really excited about. And I do feel we really do have a very good balance of assortment in every department. I think what we’re going to bring to the community is just accessibility to everyday essentials. You can come in, you can do your food shopping, you can get your diapers, you can grab your Starbucks. I think it’s just like a one-stop shop.”
“What I do like about this store is that it’s not that big,” said Sandy Frole, as she walked the towel aisle with her husband, Bob. “This I can handle.” The Froles, Ms. Fitzpatrick’s parents, were especially proud to see their daughter preside over the opening in her first assignment as a store director. Before this, she worked for seven years out of the Sayville Target, as the executive team leader for human resources.
“My whole family is here,” Ms. Fitzpatrick said.
Elsewhere in the store, her sister-in-law, Jennifer Frole, and her nieces, Cali and Tori, all three dressed in red, browsed the toy aisle while the girls also worked their way through a scavenger hunt that would lead them to every department. “We live in Port Jefferson Station and came out to show our support,” their mother said. Family connection or not, “We are always Target fans.”
Some 130 employees — “team members,” in Target-speak — were invited to Tuesday’s opening event, and “everyone’s allowed to invite their friends and family to come and just celebrate them,” Ms. Fitzpatrick said.
Addressing the crowd of employees an hour later, she marveled at how far things had come in a relatively short period of time. “It’s hard to believe that we’re standing here today. Just a few four months ago this was a construction site, and today we’re getting ready to officially open our doors and become a part of the community,” she said. “Our goal is to create a place that makes everyday life a little easier, a place where you can find your everyday essentials, discover something inspiring, and most importantly, feel welcome and taken care of.”
One of the community guests on Tuesday afternoon was Debra McEneaney from the Bridgehampton Child Care and Recreational Center’s development team. The center had been selected to be the ceremonial first shopper at the new Target and given a $500 gift card for the occasion.
And that long line just before 5? By about 5:04, the people waiting with carts and baskets had already funneled off to the registers, the first sales had been completed, and the store was open to all. Its official grand opening celebration will be on Sunday.