Target makes disturbing demand of staff in a bid to boost flagging sales: ‘Another reason to shop elsewhere’
‘Tis the season to be jolly — especially if you work at Target.
The retailer wants employees to keep their spirits bright and their smiles tighter as the holiday rush hits full speed.
Indeed, Target has imposed new rules on employees in an effort to spark some festive cheer up and down the superstore’s aisles.
Employees were told that if a shopper comes within 10 feet of them, they must smile.
If they come closer — within four feet — employees must ask whether they need help or how their day is going, according to Bloomberg.
‘Heading into the holiday, we’re making adjustments and implementing new ways to increase connection during the most important time of the year,’ chief stores officer Adrienne Costanzo told Bloomberg.
This guidance is part of Target’s new initiative (internally dubbed the 10-4 program) to make its stores more welcoming.
While Target has always encouraged workers to be outgoing and kind, it has never before mandated this behavior.
Target’s in-store employees have been told they must always look happy when near to customers
Target has imposed new rules on employees in an effort to spark some festive cheer up and down the superstore’s aisles
The ’10-4′ initiative comes alongside Target’s 2025 holiday campaign — but some say the enforced smiles feel more forced than festive
Other retailers have created similar rules, such as Walmart with its 10-foot rule, requiring employees to greet customers, make eye contact, and offer assistance when they come close.
Response to the news online has been critical.
‘Nothing boosts morale like mandatory happiness,’ a user joked on X. ‘Next update: employees must giggle when scanning items,’ they added.
Another wrote, ‘didn’t they just fire a ton of employees? and now they want them to smile about it?’
One X user called the move a ‘recession indicator’ and another said ‘this just give me another reason to shop elsewhere.’
The new friendliness mandate also comes before the very crucial holiday period, and after a streak of weak sales.
On top of those factors, incoming Chief Executive Officer Michael Fiddelke has said improving the shopping experience is one of his main priorities.
Fiddelke said during the company’s second-quarter earnings call in August that Target must ‘do better’ when it comes to facilitating a positive shopping experience.
Employees were told that if a shopper comes within 10 feet of them, they must smile
Target hopes the rule will improve the customer experience — but many staff say they’re struggling to smile through the stress
Target announced the refinancing lats month, it’s looking to save money and reinvent itself after nearly three years of falling sales.
‘The truth is, the complexity we’ve created over time has been holding us back,’ incoming CEO Michael Fiddelke said in a memo obtained by the Wall Street Journal that will be sent to staff on Tuesday.
‘Too many layers and overlapping work have slowed decisions, making it harder to bring ideas to life.’
Fiddelke, a 20-year Target veteran who currently serves as chief operating officer, will take over as CEO in February. He succeeds Brian Cornell, who will remain executive chairman.
Target’s stock price has been on a roller coaster this year, losing more than 30 percent of its value since January.
The past six months have been kinder to the chain, with Wall Street giving the company a 2 percent boost — and investors have pushed the stock even higher after the layoff announcement.
But analysts say problems have been spilling out of Target’s Minneapolis headquarters and into the retailer’s approximately 2,000 US locations.
‘Cutting corporate jobs may help boost profit. However, the move alone does not solve all of Target’s ills,’ Neil Saunders, managing director and retail analyst at GlobalData, told the Daily Mail.
Longtime CEO Brian Cornell announced that he was stepping down at the start of 2026
‘Regardless of how the cost pie is cut, it also needs to be accompanied by a change of culture at Target.’
Saunders joined a chorus of retail experts calling for Brian Cornell to fully step away from the company after years of blistering headlines and social media firestorms.
First, the company faced backlash from conservatives after including trans-inclusive swimwear in its 2024 Pride collection. Some stores reported major boycotts and even bomb threats.
Then, Target walked back its diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in a pitch to appease the Trump administration. The move angered liberal shoppers.
And, when once-loyal fans began turning away from the company, Target quietly raised some prices to stave off additional tariff costs.
