Target Bridgehampton Opening Set for October — and Yes, It’s Getting a Hamptons Makeover

The 90,000-square-foot Target replacing the former Kmart at Bridgehampton Commons is expected to open Oct. 11, bringing Starbucks, CVS Pharmacy and a decidedly toned-down bullseye to the East End.

It’s really happening.

After years of speculation, debate and plenty of opinions about what should — and absolutely should not — replace the former Kmart at Bridgehampton Commons, Target is getting ready to open its doors.

The approximately 90,000-square-foot store at 2044 Montauk Highway is expected to open Oct. 11, according to published reports. Target currently lists the Bridgehampton location among its upcoming fall 2026 openings and is hiring for the new store.

And for anyone driving down Montauk Highway wondering whether that really is a Target taking shape behind the construction fencing: The bullseye is now up.

SPARK recently took a peek outside — and inside — the still-under-construction store, where crews are moving toward the finish line ahead of the fall opening.

Target in Bridgehampton under construction. Photo by Angela LaGreca

Target in Bridgehampton under construction. Photo by Angela LaGreca

Not Your Typical Target

This Target will look a little different from the big red stores familiar to shoppers elsewhere on Long Island.

The Bridgehampton Commons location has been adapted to meet Southampton Town requirements and, apparently, the Hamptons aesthetic.

Instead of Target’s signature red exterior lettering and bullseye, the new sign is white against a gray facade. Even the large cylindrical bollards typically painted bright Target red have gone gray.

Southampton Town officials requested the white signage during the planning process, according to Newsday. Illuminated signs are not permitted at the shopping center, so the Target sign will instead be lit from above.

In other words: Target, but make it Hamptons.

Inside, shoppers can expect more of the Target they know. The store is expected to include a Starbucks and CVS Pharmacy, although at roughly 90,000 square feet, it will be smaller than many traditional Target locations.

The Bridgehampton store will also become Target’s easternmost location on Long Island.

A Storefront With a Long East End History

The arrival marks another chapter for one of the East End’s most recognizable retail spaces.

Long before the bullseye arrived, the building was home to Woolco, followed by Caldor and then Kmart. Kmart occupied the location for 25 years before closing in 2024, leaving a sizable retail hole in an area where large-scale shopping options are limited.

And East Enders had thoughts.

What should replace Kmart became something of a local parlor game, with residents weighing the convenience of a major retailer against concerns about traffic, development and the increasing presence of national chains in the Hamptons.

Target, meanwhile, had apparently been eyeing the market for a long time.

Brandt Uthus, Target’s regional real estate director, told Newsday that the company had wanted a Hamptons location “for years, if not decades,” but finding a sufficiently large available property on the South Fork proved difficult.

Target signed a lease for the Bridgehampton space in 2021, according to Newsday, years before Kmart closed the location in 2024.

Now, after months of construction and years of speculation about what would ultimately take over the space, Target is preparing to open this fall — just in time to challenge neighboring TJ Maxx for Bridgehampton’s autumn pumpkin spice décor crown

Target Is Hiring in Bridgehampton

Target has begun recruiting employees for the new location, which is expected to eventually employ approximately 140 to 150 people, according to Newsday.

The retailer’s careers site currently lists Bridgehampton among its fall 2026 store openings and is accepting applications — positions ranging from Food Service Team Leader to Specialty Sales (Style, Beauty or Tech) to Guest Advocate (Cashier)  to Target Security Specialist. There are also job openings listed for 4 a.m. Inbound (Stocking) and Human Resource Epxert.

And behind those newly installed white letters, the transition from construction site to functioning Target is accelerating. Newsday reported that general contractor EW Howell Construction Group recently turned the store over to a Target team that will begin stocking merchandise, assembling fixtures and preparing the space for opening.

Convenience or Another Major Retailer Muscling in on the Hamptons?

For some East Enders, the arrival of Target will mean finally being able to buy household basics, groceries, clothing, school supplies and a Starbucks coffee without heading farther west.

For others, another national retailer on Montauk Highway may be exactly what they hoped wouldn’t come next.

Either way, after years of “What’s going into the old Kmart?” the East End is about to get its answer.

Bullseye. (Just don’t make it red.)

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Angela LaGreca

Editor, Co-Founder/Publisher

Angela LaGreca, Editor-in-chief and co-Founder/Publisher of Spark Hamptons, is a four-time Emmy Award-winning journalist, producer, writer and comedian/host. Her TV credits include NBC’s “Today,” ABC’s “The View,” and, most recently, the primetime cable news program “Cuomo” on NewsNation. On the East End, she was the Creative Director at LTV, VP Features/Events/Photo Editor at Dan’s Papers, and has performed at Guild Hall, Bay Street Theater and the WHBPAC. Her publishing career began at Modern Photography, where she was managing editor. LaGreca lives in Manhattan and East Hampton and can be reached at angelatvmedia@gmail.com and angela@sparkhamptons.com .