Target makes weird new rule to win back customers

The next time you visit Target, your shopping experience may look a little different.

That’s because the store recently put a weird new policy in place that will impact every customer visiting the company’s 2,000 or so retail locations throughout the country.

Target’s new rule change is the latest in a series of policy modifications made by the retailer, which has been struggling with a major sales slump.

It’s unclear how customers will respond to the change, or whether it will encourage them to visit Target stores more frequently and help the chain turn things around.Target has put a new policy in place, but will customers like it?MDoculus/Getty Images

Target puts a weird new policy in place

Target has undergone a number of changes recently, and not all of them have been popular.

For one thing, the company’s CEO stepped down after 11 years, effective February 1, 2026. Target also ended its popular price-matching policy, which made customers very unhappy.

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This new change, though, is intended to make stores more inviting, as Target has now put a "friendliness" rule in place.

Specifically, as Bloomberg News reported, Target workers now must follow official guidelines on how to interact with customers. The new guidelines encourage them to be more welcoming to in-store guests.

Here’s how Target’s new policy works

While Target has long encouraged employees to be friendly, which is the norm in the retail world, the new guidelines are much more specific than in the past.

Bloomberg News reported that the policy is known as the “10-4” rule because of what it requires. Specifically, under Target’s new 10-4 policy:

If customers are within 10 feet of a worker, the worker must make eye contact, smile, and say hello. If customers come within four feet of a worker, the worker must either ask if they need help or check in to see how their day is going.

The policy is reportedly similar to one that Walmart has had in place for a long time, which requires employees to make eye contact if a customer comes within 10 feet. However, it goes a few steps further in its requirements.

Why is Target putting a new "friendliness" policy in place?

Target’s Chief Stores Officer Adrienne Costanzo confirmed the change to Bloomberg News, stating:

While the policy change may appear to be aimed at improving the customer experience, ultimately, the focus is on improving the company’s bottom line.

In fact, Bloomberg reported that Target had learned that “ key consumer metrics rose when shoppers were greeted or acknowledged."

Target’s new rule aims to win back customers

Target’s new friendliness policy is part of a broader effort to encourage customers to start shopping in person with the retailer again. The rule change comes at a time when the company has faced significant struggles.

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In fact, according to Target’s most recent earnings report in August 2025, the company reported just $25.2 billion in sales in Q2, which is a 0.9% decline from the year prior. The retailer’s overall profit of $1.3 billion was also down 19% year over year.

The company blamed the decline on customers buying less merchandise.

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Sales in retail stores took the biggest hit, with comparable sales down 3.2%. By contrast, online sales grew by 4.3%.

With its new friendliness initiative, Target may be hoping to improve the in-store experience, with the goal of luring more customers back into its physical locations.

How do customers feel about Target’s policy change?

While Target is clearly hoping that customers will enjoy this new experience, neither shoppers nor employees are necessarily excited about the change.

In the r/Target subreddit, the announcement was greeted with a lot of skepticism about whether it would have a positive impact.

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One Reddit poster commented, “Good luck greeting people who don’t even want to talk to you.”

Another poster, who appears to work at Target, said, “I do this, but a lot of people I deal with seem annoyed and aren’t friendly back, so I stopped trying as much. If they seem nice, I do, but more often than not, I get blank stares back. Why bother?”

Of course, maybe now that friendliness is an actual mandate, customers will become accustomed to the positive change. Perhaps they will feel better about the interactions and pick up more merchandise, as Target is clearly hoping.

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This story was originally reported by TheStreet on Nov 9, 2025, where it first appeared in the Retail section. Add TheStreet as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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