Target Implements New Customer Interaction Policy

The Minneapolis-based retailer has issued a new directive requiring in-store workers to smile and make eye contact, greeting or waving to any shopper that comes within 10 feet. If a customer steps within four feet, the service rep is instructed to ask whether they need help or how their day is going, the new guidance said. The company’s distance-based human interaction rules are part of an effort to improve customer experience in nearly 2,000 Target locations nationwide as the holiday season approaches.

Target’s renewed focus on customer experience follows a period of sluggish sales, with comparable sales falling 1.9% year over year in the second quarter of 2025, including a 3.2% drop in-store. Digital sales rose 4.3%. The company’s approach to improving customer interactions is seen as a positive shift, but some find it unnecessary to turn interactions into counseling sessions. “Hi” and “How may I help you?” is sufficient for customers seeking assistance.

The retailer’s tentative embrace of America and Americans is viewed as a good sign. Let’s hope welcoming customers as an asset and not an inconvenience spreads throughout the corporate world.