Target Corporation jets into Wilmington ahead of new store opening

Target Corporation's Gulfstream G280, registered as N484EM, lifted off from Myrtle Beach International Airport on May 11, 2026, at 6:28 p.m. EDT, covering the mere 80 miles to Wilmington International Airport in 16 brisk minutes. The low-altitude jaunt—peaking at just 6,950 feet—hints at a no-frills repositioning along the Carolina coast, far from the transcontinental hops typical of the retailer's fleet.

The visit lands squarely in the week of Target's newest store debut in Wilmington's Monkey Junction neighborhood, set for May 17, as covered by the StarNews in April. This 128,000-square-foot outpost, the company's second in the city, forms part of a six-store May rollout amid a $5 billion expansion plan that eyes over 30 openings by year's end, per Supermarket News. Such timely arrivals suggest executives scouting the site or rallying staff for the launch, a wry nod to how even discount empires demand a touch of private luxury for ribbon-cuttings.

This coastal detour echoes Target's broader travel rhythms, with recent flights ferrying from Minneapolis headquarters to southern outposts like Austin and Houston, plus a May 10 round-trip to Tampa. The pattern underscores a retailer on the move, chasing growth in sunbelt markets while its CEO Brian Cornell eyes an exit next February—leaving the jets to carry the expansion torch.