Anyone else wondering what is up post-Covid? It’s like we can’t get our feet back under us. Target used to have a clear goal, to be the retailer of choice for families, bringing joy for a fair price and clearly be a step up from the Dollar stores, Bargain, and WalMarts of the world. But lately, it seems like we can’t get out of our own way. Decisions are all over the place, constantly in the news (and not good news), and all changes seem to be reactive or following in everyone else’s footsteps. Why did we stop leading and start following? Target no longer interviews, at least on the Distribution side, we just hire whoever. There is no selection process, so of course turnover is rampant, causing extra workload for those of us that stuck around through the years. Managers are never on the same page, not even those that run the same teams. The only time you see senior leadership or HR on the floor it’s never good news, and recent business decisions seem to always screw us workers and make our lives more difficult. It no longer feels like Target is a leading employer in our community based on new hiring practices and constant need for hiring due to so many exiting to other jobs. I used to be proud of working here, now I find myself never volunteering this info, which is sad.
Jayunderscore
r/Target Rat Tamer
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Imagine this but an entire company. That’s what’s wrong with Target right now.
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We have NEVER been a leader. I started in 1994 and we have always copied what Walmart does.
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Was just talking with my TL about this. She was expressing frustration about the latest batch of contradictory communications.
First, we're supposed to do things a certain way so it's consistent chain-wide. Oh wait, stores need to do what works best for their lay-out. Oh wait again, we're supposedly empowered to do what makes sense within the store and the TMs (you know, availability, expertise, etc.). No, no, do what corporate says we're ALL supposed to do so it's all the same.
How about this? If decisions are made, at least offer a little explanation so we're not all wondering about what seems to be useless, time-consuming, wack-a-doodle ideas.
But we end up with nothing that really makes a whole lot of sense. Doesn't make for loyalty, feeling proud of where I work, wanting to stay there.
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Brian Cornell continued the Greg Steinhaffel blueprint of gutting payroll which becomes a self fulfilling prophecy in terms of how poorly stores operate. They were struggling long before covid, it just wasn't as obvious.
I haven't worked for them in 9 years as of next month but it's hardly surprising nobody knows what is up or down. They aren't staffing the stores properly so they don't know what to do because they aren't going to suddenly start staffing the stores, so again, not surprising that it's just straw grasping chaos.
I haven't worked for them in 9 years as of next month but it's hardly surprising nobody knows what is up or down. They aren't staffing the stores properly so they don't know what to do because they aren't going to suddenly start staffing the stores, so again, not surprising that it's just straw grasping chaos.
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I'm sorry but that is incomplete. Target's checkout process and zone/branding was worlds apart from Wal-Mart for a very long time. The clothing on the floor and the towels & blankets were far better too. I worked there from 2006 to 2016, totaling over 10 years. Nothing compared to your tenure so nothing but respect for that in particular, but you absolutely must be aware that the store process started to unravel with Steinhaffel and then an ex-WalMart employee in Cornell took over and yes they trended more and more towards Wal-Mart from the moment he took over, that is true.
Look at the store number totals year by year from 1970 until now. It's not a coincidence that Target expansion skyrocketed when Ulrich took over and crawled to a damn near halt the moment he retired.
Target did a lot of things different from Wal-Mart for a long time and now they've become a downgraded version of what Wal-Mart was 20 years ago, operationally speaking.
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I go to my local Walmart and see a zoned store. My store is not zoned, apparel is a mess with reshop a constant and apparel all over the floor.
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Any store that I shop at Walmart, Meijer, Jewel, Woodman's, and Mariano's all have better zones than Target does. I remember staying until midnight or 1am to finish zoning toys many years ago.
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Here's my question: if zoning is supposed to be a priority now, just when are we supposed to do it? I used to get compliments on my area all the time, but haven't a long while because it hasn't been deserved. It's pretty much always a wreck. If it wasn't for self-pushers, I'd be doomed.
Give me another hour in my shift and it'd be a lot different.
Give me another hour in my shift and it'd be a lot different.
OneGoodEar
Former team member
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Which is why I said without them, I'd be doomed. At least some of my area is zoned.
And they work pretty well for most of the things they're used for. But not all of my area has self-pushers, hence the problem.
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Everything target rolled out since my day 1 was a year or two behind Walmart. Locating the stockroom. (Used to just be placed on shelves by dept) pulling batches to fill the floor (used to just make a list of what we need and go back and grab it all) doing research on the lrt (used to have old dot matrix printer with 2 sheet perforated edges we would print out, mark on the sheet what our on hands were, and the clerical person had to hand key into the computer what our on hands were each week) labeling the sales floor with aisle numbers (used to just say go 2 aisles past the comforters to direct guests) using guest credit cards as form of proof of purchase (used to ask for receipt but did most returns without one making the guest fill out a form for each return) having planograms online (used to have a huge binder for each department with hundreds of pages of planograms and notes for setting. We would have to grab out the section we needed to set it and hope and pray that it gets retuned to the binder because this was our only copy for 6 months). tieing planograms to their aisles and generating batches to fill them (used to set Plano, push the nop pallet, and scan all the outs and keying in amounts to fill the aisle. All truck was brought to the floor and the pick labels didn’t have aisle numbers, just dept numbers.)
I could go on and on and on. Walmart had rolled out everything a year or more prior to Target getting around to it. Yes most are all olllllddddd examples. 30 years ago. But it continued on thru at least 2010. (I left in 2021) This was all WAY before Steinhaufel.
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redeye58
Hasta Ba Rista, Baby!
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There was also a time Target would watch what mistakes Walmart made & adjust accordingly to avoid penalties & lawsuits, ie: lunch breaks within certain number of hours, minors' hours to name a couple.
Target used to be cutting edge in terms of technology being the first retailer to roll out gift receipts & receipt look-up but they've fallen behind since the credit breach.
Target used to be cutting edge in terms of technology being the first retailer to roll out gift receipts & receipt look-up but they've fallen behind since the credit breach.
Walmart was using AI to automatically fix on hands without human intervention in 2021 so I guess you're right.
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Then there's how it seems like Target sort of cared about its people, but that's gone. A big sheet cake for all that month's birthdays, frequent treats in the break room, grilled burgers and hotdogs for holidays - I hired in on Flow and we were always hungry. 🙂 Not sure when it all went away, maybe it was when covid started, but if that was the reason, it's never come back.
OneGoodEar
Former team member
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Must be a store thing because I don't remember cakes celebrating birthdays. BBQ were usually reserved for the "summer" holidays, treats were only given during the holiday rush and something special (ie, pizza, subs, chicken) was served on Christmas and Thanksgiving eves.
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Cakes were a super target thing since we sold them and could decorate them.
OneGoodEar
Former team member
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Ah, that makes sense. I just worked for a regular.
It would just seem to me they have to do what they have to do to keep the doors open, the shareholders and board happy, and their bonuses rolling. It's a rare day now that the stock goes up instead of down (for the old timers, remember when the stock split?😂). I look at how many companies in the past year that have closed hundreds of stores, laid off thousands of people or just closed for good. I work with half the number of people I once did (those jobs just quietly disappeared through the years). It seems to me its just the nature of business now. Does it all stink? Very much so. There's no money for payroll yet there is money for ridiculous ideas like the Montels, and paying to fly all of them to HQ, paying for hotel rooms, entertainers for the fall brouhaa all for which could be said in videos instead.
FYI Cornell turns 66 this year so one can see a change of command coming at some point soon. So buckle up.
FYI Cornell turns 66 this year so one can see a change of command coming at some point soon. So buckle up.
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RunForACallBox
General Merchandise Expert (Presentation)
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We always had cakes at the end of the month for birthdays and anniversaries. My old store was a GM but we always went next door to Publix and have them make one. That died in like 2017 and haven’t had one since
MIRSlave
Professional backroom tetris player
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About 2009-2010ish we had a gigantic spread for friday after thanksgiving. Turkey, ham, stuffing, mashed potatoes, veggies, like literally everything. I closed that night and the ETL-HR was literally shoving these hotel pans full of food in my arms as I was going out the door.
Nothing like that anymore, now we always get deli sandwiches from walmart or kroger and soda if we're lucky.
Nothing like that anymore, now we always get deli sandwiches from walmart or kroger and soda if we're lucky.
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We'll get trays of food for major holidays with high traffic. If you're lucky enough to work closing the closing managers will practically throw the food at you
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Ours came from a store not far, a major regional competitor, because my store isn't a super Target. They were pretty good.
