Target to cut about 500 roles as it boosts store staffing
MINNEAPOLIS — Target said it will streamline its retail model and add more hours for frontline store employees while eliminating about 500 office and supply‑chain roles, a move the company described as a shift toward improving the in‑store customer experience, Reuters reported.
An internal memo obtained by CNBC said the retailer will reduce the number of store districts — the regions used to supervise its nearly 2,000 locations — and redirect resources into store labor hours and training for staff.
Store staffing push
Target said the staffing changes aim to make shelves better stocked and checkouts smoother after customers complained about clutter, out‑of‑stocks and longer lines, themes highlighted in the company’s internal memo summarized by CNBC.
The retailer said it is putting more payroll into stores for additional labor and training dollars, and a spokesperson told Reuters the change is one of the first major moves under new CEO Michael Fiddelke.
Where the cuts land
About 100 jobs will be cut at the store‑district level and roughly 400 more across supply‑chain sites, according to details in the memo cited by CNBC, a breakdown echoed in a Reuters write‑up carried by The Detroit News.
Target said it has already notified affected employees and will provide transition resources, and it framed the restructuring as a way to simplify store oversight while funding added frontline hours, the Reuters report said.
Turnaround priorities under new CEO
Fiddelke took the top job on Feb. 1 after serving as chief financial officer and chief operating officer, and he has said restoring a consistent store experience and design edge is a priority, according to CNBC.
The retailer also cut about 1,800 corporate roles last year in its first major layoff in roughly a decade, a point noted in the Reuters report as Target prepares to outline broader plans alongside its March 3 earnings update.
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Image: Target in Ocean Township, NJ by Szeremeta, CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons. License: CC BY-SA 4.0. Modifications: cropped to 16:9 and resized to 1920×1080.
