The red dot retailer is looking for 4,300 seasonal hires across its Southern California stores.
Seasonal employees typically will work for a retailer during the busiest weeks of the holiday shopping season. Sometimes roles are extended, based on the needs of the company. Expect similar hiring efforts from Walmart, Kohls and other brick-and-mortar shops.
Wages for Target cashiers in Orange start at $18.75 hourly. A similar job in Garden Grove starts at $19 hourly. Target said its holiday roles also come with health benefits starting on day one.
“We want our team members to feel supported and set up to do their best work, so they can focus on creating an easy, inspiring, and friendly experience for our guests. Whether someone joins us for a season or builds a career at Target, there are opportunities to learn, grow and make a difference as part of Team Target,” said Emily Hebert, senior vice president of Field and Operations HR.
Applicants can go to TargetSeasonalJobs.com to find open jobs and apply.
International grocer opens in Lake Forest
Fresh Choice Marketplace is open in Lake Forest, replacing a shuttered 99 Cents Only store.
The grocery store within the Lake Forest Town Center offers an abundance of international food “from all over the world” including halal meats, breads, produce and more.
Check out its weekly ad at freshchoiceanaheimhills.com
The grocer also has a store in Anaheim Hills at 440 South Anaheim Hills Road.
Address: 22631 Lake Forest Drive
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The Bouqs Co., a flower delivery service, is open at South Coast Collection (SOCO) at The OC Mix in Costa Mesa. (Photo courtesy of The Bouqs)
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The Bouqs Co., a flower delivery service, is open at South Coast Collection (SOCO) at The OC Mix in Costa Mesa. (Photo courtesy of The Bouqs)
Flower brand debuts at OC Mix
The Bouqs Co., a direct-to-consumer flower delivery service, is open at South Coast Collection (SOCO) at The OC Mix in Costa Mesa.
“We eliminated the middleman so our flowers are fresher and last longer,” said Kelly Connelly, vice president of Retail for The Bouqs, in a statement. “We also created a subscription service that lets customers gift or receive farm-fresh flowers at their preferred delivery cadence.”
A quick search on the company’s website showed an array of holiday-themed bouquets such as Black Magic, Midnight, Jack O’Lantern, Wicked and more. Prices without a subscription start around $62. Customers with a subscription can save 30%.
The brand also has stores in Beverly Hills, New York City, San Diego and San Francisco.
Address: 3303-3323 Hyland Ave.
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The Brazilian fashion brand Farm Rio opened on Oct. 10 its first Orange County boutique at Fashion Island in Newport Beach. The brand created in 1997 in Rio de Janeiro by Kátia Barros and Marcello Bastos is known for its “exuberant” prints and bold colors of Brazil. (Photo courtesy of Farm Rio)
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The Brazilian fashion brand Farm Rio opened on Oct. 10 its first Orange County boutique at Fashion Island in Newport Beach. The brand created in 1997 in Rio de Janeiro by Kátia Barros and Marcello Bastos is known for its “exuberant” prints and bold colors of Brazil. (Photo courtesy of Farm Rio)
Brazilian Farm Rio debuts at Fashion Island
The Brazilian fashion brand Farm Rio opened on Oct. 10 its first Orange County boutique at Fashion Island in Newport Beach.
The brand created in 1997 in Rio de Janeiro by Kátia Barros and Marcello Bastos is known for its “exuberant” prints and bold colors associated with Brazil and comes with the motto “Dress in Happiness.”
Farm Rio has at least 130 stores in its home country and a growing presence in the U.S., Europe, Latin America and the Middle East.
Address: 401 Newport Center Drive
YMCA opens in Santa Ana this week
The YMCA of Orange County is holding a ribbon-cutting for its South Coast Metro YMCA at 9:30 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 22.
The facility at 3701 S. Plaza Drive in Santa Ana is a health and wellness center and the first phase of “a multi-phase evolution of the YMCA of Orange County,” which is looking to move beyond just fitness to curated, multi-generational programs and events for residents of every age and stage of life.
South Coast Metro YMCA will be open seven days a week and offer 65 group classes, an indoor pool with three lanes, a whirlpool and sauna, group and community programming and personal training.
More information is available at ymcaoc.org/southcoast.
Grants available to MV small businesses
Mission Viejo has opened its Thrives Grant Program, offering up to $3,500 to eligible businesses that need an Instagram-worthy update.
The program — created with the Orange County Inland Empire Small Business Development Center — will help pay for physical improvements to a business aimed at boosting its marketing presence in person and online.
The application portal opens at 8 am Monday, Oct. 19 and closes at 11:59 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 15.
Some of the eligibility requirements: the business must be in Mission Viejo, in compliance and have a minimum of two employees and no more than 25 full-time staff. More of those rules can be found online.
Updates include creating eye-catching storefronts, murals and upgrading signage and enhancing landscaping.
Learn more about eligibility and apply at ociesmallbusiness.org/city-of-mission-viejo-thrives-grant-program.
Portola students win Dragon Challenge
Loops of Love, a program created by two Portola High School students in Irvine, is the winner of the 2026 Dragon Challenge.
The Dragon Kim Foundation hosted its annual challenge Sept. 26 at the Margaret A. Webb Theatre on the campus of the Orange County School of the Arts in Santa Ana. Each year, the program awards community service grants of up to $5,000 to the teams so they can create and manage a service project that will help their community.
Created by students Anisha Ravi and Anusha Jauhri, the Loops of Love project teaches children facing difficult circumstances how to crochet toys and plushies. Youth volunteers help children in hospitals, foster care, homeless shelters, disability centers and crisis-affected communities.
That effort bested five other finalist teams chosen from 37 projects run by 77 California high school students this summer, Dragon Kim Foundation said.
Loops of Love was awarded $5,000 to continue their project.
“Winning the challenge brought me back to the first girl I gifted a white bear to,” said Anisha. “When I think of that moment, I remember all the children we have reached, and it makes me hopeful for the future, when one day I can gift something to my friend in Ukraine.”
Two runners-up and received $4,000 each from a private donor to continue their projects. They were MindcraftHers, a project created by Eugenia Kang and London Niemiec of La Canada High, and Talking Points by Ethan Shapiro and Krish Prem of University High in Irvine.
For more information and to apply for the 2027 Dragon Fellowship, go to dragonkimfoundation.org.
Correction
Hours at Kahoots pet store in Costa Mesa are 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday. Because of an editor’s error, last week’s Status Update misstated the closing time. In case you missed the news last week, Kahoots opened Oct. 1 at 2170 Harbor Blvd., Suite 150.
Status Update is compiled and written by Business Editor Samantha Gowen. Submit items and high-resolution photos to sgowen@scng.com. Allow at least one week for publication. Items are edited for length and clarity.