Wesfarmers department stores chief executive Guy Russo said the closures would occur over the next five years - and it seems the Stirling and Queanbeyan closures are some of the first.
The announcements has understandably been met with sadness from locals. One Perth shopper took to Facebook disappointed about the Stirling store closure, saying it was ‘the best Target ever’.
Added another: ‘My favourite Target 😢😢’Said one more: ‘NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Best bl***y target ever!!’
When the store closures were announced, Wesfarmers said they hoped to move staff affected by the closures to some of their other brands - such as Kmart and Officeworks - but admitted that may be difficult for those in regional towns.
‘Where it’s a little sadder is when it’s in the country town and there is no other retailer,’ he told investors at the time.
