Target is implementing a broad store experience overhaul as it seeks to address ongoing sales challenges and evolving consumer expectations. The retailer has introduced new initiatives aimed at improving customer service, streamlining operations, and refreshing its merchandise offerings.

Adrienne Costanzo, Target’s chief stores officer, emphasized the company’s commitment to creating an “easy, inspiring and friendly” shopping environment. The changes, which began rolling out recently and will continue through the year, include a reinstated employee dress code, enhanced training programs, and investments in technology to support front-line workers.

Starting this summer, Target employees will be required to wear red shirts paired with blue jeans or khakis, although the optional use of vests will remain in place. This shift is part of a broader push to reinforce what executives describe as the “Target magic”—the personalized and welcoming experience long associated with the brand. Since the pandemic, the retailer has aimed to move away from the more transactional nature of customer interactions toward a service model centered on greeting, assisting, and thanking guests.

A new training initiative called “10-4” encourages employees to acknowledge shoppers within 10 feet and directly greet those within 4 feet, reinforcing friendly engagement as a core element of in-store culture. Leandra Hulett, group vice president of stores, has led efforts to improve communication with employees around performance expectations in areas like teamwork, task execution, and guest interaction.

Despite these efforts, some customers have expressed frustration with Target’s product selection and store conditions. Shoppers have noted challenges sorting through cluttered merchandise and questioned the value proposition amid elevated prices. Inflation and shifting consumer spending have also dampened demand, particularly in categories such as home goods, where Target has lost market share two years in a row.

In response, the company is revamping approximately 75% of its home product assortment by June, with plans to update bedding this fall and kitchen and dining products slated for 2027. Target is also transitioning away from its partnership with Ulta Beauty, introducing a curated “Beauty Studio” concept, and placing a greater emphasis on fresh foods, bakery items, and health-oriented grocery products, backed by a $5 billion investment in the category this year.

Additional changes include a boutique-style redesign of the baby department and pilot programs for concierge services in select locations.

Observers and analysts caution that the turnaround will require time and sustained effort. Neil Saunders, managing director of GlobalData, noted that while initial steps are visible, Target remains early in the transformation, with customer perceptions still reflecting concerns over value and assortment clarity.

Some customers, however, have acknowledged improvements, citing better stock levels and the refreshed dress code as positive signs. A Target spokesman reported that guest satisfaction and in-stock metrics have risen since January. To support these efforts, Target is reinvesting hundreds of millions of dollars in store labor and training, providing flexibility for stores to allocate payroll toward additional hiring or increased hours for current staff.

Technological enhancements are part of the strategy to simplify tasks for employees. The introduction of an AI-powered Store Companion app consolidates information previously spread across platforms, streamlining operations such as managing drive-up orders and accessing merchandise details. The retailer also launched guided workflows on handheld devices to assist with complex tasks like setting up product displays.

With a comprehensive array of changes underway, Target aims to revitalize its brand connection and improve the overall shopping experience, even as it navigates a competitive retail environment marked by shifting consumer priorities.