Here’s Why Target Is Encouraging Employees to Be More Flirty This Holiday Season

If a Target employee flashes you a big smile from across the aisle, don’t start planning your holiday love story just yet. The company has reportedly launched a new “10-4” rule, and it’s all about customer connection, not chemistry.

It’s Not a Crush, It’s Company Policy

Employees are now encouraged to smile at shoppers within 10 feet. Once they get a little closer, around four feet, they’re supposed to make eye contact, wave, or say hello. And if you’re close enough to grab the same candle? Expect a friendly “Can I help you find anything?” or even a “How’s your day going?”

Target Says It’s All About Connection

According to Target, “Heading into the holiday, we’re making adjustments and implementing new ways to increase connection during the most important time of the year.” Translation: they want the shopping experience to feel warm and welcoming, not like a sprint through chaos and cart traffic.
With the holiday rush in full swing, this new rule is meant to make it easier for customers to get assistance without trekking across the entire store to find someone in a red shirt who looks friendly enough to ask.

Everyone’s Doing It...Sort Of

Turns out, Target isn’t the first retailer to use a “smile zone.” Walmart and Disney have had similar policies for years, encouraging staff to greet customers based on proximity. So while it may feel like flirting, it’s really just corporate-approved friendliness.
(And let’s be honest, folks in the Quad Cities have already seen this move—Hy-Vee employees have been perfecting the “10-foot hello” for ages.)

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