Mr Wheatley, who with his wife Carolyn owns the building leased by Target, said Elders Real Estate would be enlisted to actively pursue a replacement tenant.
That search will begin immediately.
The Wesfarmers Group announced Friday morning it would be closing 75 of its retail stores, and another 92 would be converted to KMART.
By Friday evening, Deniliquin was confirmed to be one of the stores closing.
The announcement sparked outrage in the Deniliquin district community, with community members saying the decision to close Deni but convert the Echuca store will only hurt the shop local message.
Mr Wheatley, who believes the disappointing news is directly linked to a lack of support for the local store among other factors, hopes the building will not be empty for long.
He says its prime location in the heart of the CBD, and recent high quality renovations, should make it attractive for another retailer.
‘‘Target is the largest retail store in Deniliquin’s CBD,’’ Mr Wheatley said.
‘‘Hopefully we will have another business see the potential this shop has, particularly also with the $1.5 million project being carried out by Edward River Council to beautify the CBD.
‘‘For the community it’s essential to have this building in use, and we’ll do everything we can to find an alternative.’’
A review based on financial performance of Target stores led to Friday’s announcement.
The Deniliquin store is expected to operate for about another 12 months, with closure expected to be in mid-2021.
Mr Wheatley said it is now crucial the local community supports Target while it is still open, and then whichever business may take its place.
‘‘I think the closure of the store is a sign of the times, and that people are not supporting local businesses,’’ Mr Wheatley said.
‘‘You look at the other Target stores like Echuca and Kyabram, where the business was substantial enough to keep these stores open as a KMART.
‘‘This is because people travel from Deniliquin to these towns to shop. Online shopping hasn’t helped the situation either.
‘‘Because we haven’t had that support needed, we are one of many towns to lose their store. If these habits continue, towns like Deni will get smaller and Echuca will get bigger.
‘‘Another factor of course is the drought and lack of water in the region.
‘‘With reduced income locally, it means reduced customers in our local shops.’’
The Target building was gutted and refurbished following a fire in the front section of the building on Wednesday, July 27, 2016. The new look store reopened in March 2017.
Target was the third reincarnation for the building, which has supported large chain stores for about four decades.
‘‘Target, Coles and even Fosseys have been there, which means Target associated businesses have continuously traded there for at least the past 40 years,’’ Mr Wheatley said.
‘‘We (Carolyn and I) have owned the building for the past 20 years, and we just hope the local community can support Target while it’s still here.’’
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