Target Workers Told to Smile at Customers Within 10 Feet — Shoppers Say It's 'Creepy'

Target store employees in the United States must smile and make eye contact with customers within 10 feet of them, according to an internal customer service training programme rolled out in late 2025.
The instruction, part of what Target calls its '10-4' initiative, has drawn sharp reactions from shoppers and workers, some describing it as intrusive or uncomfortable.

What is the policy? Under the '10-4' programme, employees are guided to smile, wave and use welcoming body language when within roughly 10 feet of a customer, and to greet or offer help to those within four feet. The change is designed to create a warmer in-store experience as Target contends with sluggish footfall and declining sales.

What the '10-4' Rule Requires

Target's training, first introduced ahead of the 2025 holiday season, isn't framed publicly as a formal disciplinary policy but as enhanced customer interaction guidance. Employees are told:

• Within about 10 feet of a shopper: smile, make eye contact, wave or otherwise offer approachable body language.
• Within around four feet: personally greet the customer, smile and often start a warm, helpful interaction.

Company leaders have said greeting customers more frequently can improve satisfaction and loyalty. Target's executive vice-president and chief stores officer, Adrienne Costanzo, has said the initiative focuses on making visitors feel 'welcomed and valued', pointing to internal consumer metric research.

'We know when our guests are greeted, feel welcomed and get the help they need that translates to guest love and loyalty', Costanzo said in a statement.

Shopper Backlash: 'Awkward' or 'Creepy'?

Despite the intent to elevate service, many customers have reacted negatively since news of the rule spread online. On social platforms, some shoppers described the enforced smile requirement as uncomfortable or awkward, with comments like they would deliberately avoid being within four feet of staff. Others said that being approached too often felt intrusive rather than welcoming.

Retail commentary has noted that while human interaction can enhance customer experience, there's a fine line between friendly service and what some see as 'forced friendliness'. Critics argue that not all shoppers want repeated engagement during their visit — particularly if they are focused on browsing quietly.

Target has not publicly confirmed whether failure to comply with the guidance would result in formal disciplinary measures. Nor has it specified how the approach will evolve if customer discomfort persists.

Staff Reactions and Workplace Impacts

Target employees, many sharing views anonymously on forums such as Reddit, have also expressed mixed feelings. Some workers say that being expected to smile continuously can feel unnatural, particularly during busy shifts or when fulfilling diverse responsibilities. A common theme in discussions is that genuine friendliness is harder to muster when staff are under pressure to manage restocking, customer queries and other duties.

Employee reactions highlight a broader concern about emotional labour, the effort required to manage personal emotions to meet job expectations. Retail psychologists note that mandatory positive expressions can increase stress and contribute to burnout, especially in customer-facing roles. While these insights aren't specific to Target, research into emotional labour suggests that enforced outward positivity can be cognitively and emotionally taxing for workers. Research on emotional labour has previously suggested that sustained mandatory positivity can contribute to stress in customer-facing roles.

Some staff have also questioned why a formalised rule was necessary, saying that friendly greetings had been part of customary service practice already. Others see the directive as disconnected from deeper morale issues, such as understaffing or operational pressures.

Broader Retail Context and What's at Stake

Target's shift comes against a backdrop of strategic challenges. Sales and comparable footfall have been flat or declining across several quarters prior to the policy's introduction, leading to leadership changes including the appointment of a new chief executive in early 2026. The retailer has also faced criticism over inventory shortages, long checkout lines, and previous decisions around diversity and inclusion initiatives that triggered boycotts and affected consumer sentiment.

Industry observers say that while improving customer experience is important, policies focused solely on surface-level interactions may not address core issues of operational efficiency and customer trust. Whether the '10-4' rule helps boost loyalty or further alienates shoppers remains uncertain as Target monitors customer behaviour and feedback moving forward.