Target apologizes for CBGB homage in East Village

To the surprise of pretty much no one, Target’s homage to legendary punk venue CBGB at its new East Village store, which opened last weekend, drew a mixed bag of reactions, most of them negative.

There was outrage—Jeremiah Moss called it “the most deplorable commodification of local neighborhood culture I’ve ever witnessed”—and disgust, along with a healthy heaping of resignation; this is just more proof that the East Village isn’t the quirky, gritty neighborhood it once was.

And in the wake of that negative reaction, Target has now issued an apology for the likely well-intentioned, but certainly misguided, “brand activation.”

“We sincerely apologize if some eventgoers felt it was not the best way to capture the spirit of the neighborhood,” Target said in a statement provided to the New York Times. “We always appreciate guest feedback and will take it into consideration as we plan for future opening events.”

It won’t be too long before another one of those opening events comes up: Target is due to open several new stores throughout the five boroughs in the coming months, with its new outpost at Essex Crossing on the Lower East Side—just over a mile from the store on Avenue A—debuting in August. (We’re guessing the opening festivities will be a little different for that one.)

• Target’s CBGB Tribute Draws Backlash, Followed by an Apology [NYT]