Is this friendly faces or retail theater?
November 17, 2025
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What 10-4 is: Training that tells Target employeesto smile or wave within ~10 feet and greet/offer help within ~4 feet
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Why Targets doing it: To create a warmer, Disney-like experience, lift sluggish sales, and likely make potential shoplifters feel more watched
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What it means for you: Expect more greetings as you walk the aisles, but you can still just nod, say Im just looking, and judge Target on whether lines and store organization actually improve
Target is rolling out a new internal training program called 10-4 that tells store employees exactly how to interact with shoppers as they walk the aisles. Right down to when they should smile, wave and even start a conversation.
The company says the program is about kindness and generosity and making visits feel more magical, and its arriving just as retailers head into whats likely to be the first-ever $1 trillion U.S. holiday shopping season.
It also comes as Target tries to pull out of a sales slump under incoming CEO Michael Fiddelke, who takes over in February 2026 with a mandate to improve store experience and reignite growth.
What is Targets 10-4 training?
According to Target, 10-4 is an internal team-member training program, not a formal policy in the employee handbook. It was shared with store workers ahead of the 2025 holiday season.
Under the guidance:
- At about 10 feet: Employees are trained to smile, make eye contact, and wave if theyre near a shopper and to use friendly, approachable and welcoming body language.
- At about 4 feet: Theyre told to personally greet the guest, keep smiling, and start a warm, helpful interaction. For example, asking how the shoppers day is going or whether they need help finding something.
Target has stressed to the media that these are guidelines within training, not a disciplinary rule labeled policy.
A Target spokesperson told Fox Business that with this enhanced training focused on kindness, the goal is to make each visit feel more special and show appreciation for store workers efforts.
How could 10-4 change your Target run?
If the program sticks and is consistently followed, shoppers may notice:
More greetings, more often. Instead of just one Hi, welcome to Target at the front, you may get quick check-ins from staff in multiple departments as you walk the aisles.
Fewer invisible employees. The idea is that if a worker is near you, theyre supposed to acknowledge you even if theyre stocking shelves or walking by on their way somewhere else.
A more Disney-like script. The smile-within-10-feet concept is similar to guest-service norms that have existed for years at theme parks and some other big retailers, but Targets version is unusually explicit and has been widely publicized.
How are workers and shoppers reacting?
Because 10-4 leaked quickly into news reports and social media, reaction has been mixed:
Some employees say online that the smile-and-wave expectation feels forced or awkward, especially when stores are busy and theyre juggling multiple tasks. Employees also said they can easily tell when a shopper would not be bothered versus those that are looking for some interaction.
While not specifically noted, I think theres an anti-theft element to this as well. Shoppers with bad intentions are less likely to steal if they have employees acknowledging them and paying attention to them.
Also, some shoppers like being acknowledged while others say they prefer to browse without being approached unless they clearly ask for help.
Target, for its part, points to its research suggesting that key consumer metrics improve when guests are greeted or acknowledged, and argues that a warmer in-store atmosphere can help stop the sales slide.
What this means for you as a shopper
For now, heres the practical impact you might notice:
- Expect more check-ins. You may get a smile or wave just because an employee walked within 10 feet of you. Thats the training, not someone trying to hover while you shop.
- You dont have to engage. Theres obviously no requirement for shoppers to respond. A quick nod or Im just looking is enough if you dont want help.
- Watch whether the basics improve. The bigger test of Fiddelkes turnaround isnt how many smiles you see, but whether wait times and store organization actually gets better during peak holiday crowds.