O.C.’s first small-format Target store opens near UC Irvine

Orange County’s first small-format Target opened this week across from UC Irvine.

The 20,000-square-foot store, tucked between a Chipotle Mexican Grill and Blaze Pizza in the University Center off Campus Drive, replaces a 24 Hour Fitness.

Target officials said the store is among 45 nationwide that are significantly smaller than a typical Target, which can span 120,000 square feet.

The format is helping the Minneapolis-based retail chain break into denser urban and suburban markets that don’t have the space for a full-size Target.

At the UCI-area store, many product offerings are geared to the community . Hence, given the college-age crowd, children’s clothing isn’t available.

One of the store’s two entrances features licensed UCI Anteater clothing. Another area has items that might be useful for dorm living, such as small furniture.

Scott Timpani, the store’s team leader, said that when UCI begins its fall quarter in September, his store will be as busy as other Targets are at Christmastime.

“Move-in weekend, back-to-college time is going to be our holiday season,” he said during a tour Wednesday.

The Target is within easy walking distance of the campus, near the pedestrian bridge spanning Campus Drive.

Timpani said the location is convenient for those who live in nearby apartments and condominiums. A full-size Target is more than five miles away.

A third of the new store is devoted to groceries and fresh produce. To-go meals and snacks also are available, as is a wide selection of beer, wine and liquor. Store management says those offerings and various home goods make up half the sales floor and likely half of total sales.

The store also contains a Starbucks, a CVS pharmacy and a tech center staffed by a mobile team.

Timpani said the 62 employees will be well-versed in all areas of the store, instead of having specialized know-how like at full-size Targets.

bradley.zint@latimes.com

Twitter: @BradleyZint

UPDATES:

12:05 p.m. July 20: This article was updated to include home goods as one of the store’s key drivers of sales.

This article was originally published at 5:55 p.m. July 19.