It's good news for Target Gunnedah employees as they will not lose their jobs when the Marquis Street store is converted into a Kmart next year.
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A Target spokesperson confirmed that all team members employed at the Target Country store will be offered a position in the small-format Kmart hub store when it is transformed in early 2021.
It comes after Wesfarmers announced in May this year the closure and conversion of many Target stores across the country.
Gunnedah mayor Jamie Chaffey told Australian Community Media he wrote to the managing director for Target Australia when closures were announced to say that his focus was on ensuring current employees still had a job.
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He was pleased that in being transformed into a Kmart store, it would secure "employment for so many residents in the shire and the family they support".
"We see so many other communities throughout regional NSW losing their stores and we're extremely grateful for [Target's] commitment to the Gunnedah community, not only for the employment, but also providing goods and services and adding to the diverse range of products that can be purchased within the Gunnedah shire," Cr Chaffey said.
"It's a good outcome for what could've been a bad situation for Gunnedah."
But there isn't much more information on what the new Gunnedah store will involve just yet.
"We know it's something the community are extremely excited to learn more about, but naturally our focus at the moment is on our Target team and ensuring they are supported through what this change means for them," the spokesperson said.
Moree's Target store will also convert to Kmart, but Armidale and Narrabri's stores are set to close.
Narrabri Shire Council is fighting to have their local store remain open.