Very few retailers have a personality. A chain like Marshalls or Costco, I’ve noticed in my 30 years of covering retail, takes on the personality of its merchandise and the treasure hunt experience.
In most cases, however, a store’s personality, or how it connects with customers, flows from its employees. Customers can generally tell, for example, when interactions are real or when they come from corporate orders.
It’s very different to be greeted by an employee who’s actually happy to see you than to be hit with a loud “welcome to Moe’s” because its a corporate policy for workers to yell that.
When a retailer or restaurant tries to stamp out its employee’s uniqueness, it makes it hard for them to genuinely connect with customers.
Starbucks, for example, has tightened its employee dress code, now forces workers to write messages on every cup, and specifies how staff members should engage with workers. And while employees should build connections with customers, they should do it in an organic, human way.
I like my barista, who sometimes answers the drive-thru as Yoda or Grover, and it did not matter to me if he was dressed in a Starbucks uniform or a Dracula costume while he did it. His infectious personality and quirky looks gave the store an inviting personality, which is a challenge for a retailer with more than 41,000 locations globally.
Target, in its effort to rebuild its business, has added both dress codes and rules about customer interactions. They’re well-intentioned, but don’t align with a brand trying to build a more personal, distinctive in-store experience.
Or, to put it more simply, if you want to bring back the “Tar-Jay” magic, you won’t accomplish that by removing the personality from workers.
Target makes in-store changes
While it makes sense for Target to fix the in-store experience by putting more workers in its stores, opening more checkout lines, and generally focusing on offering a good customer experience, the chain has instead decided to focus on its workers’ outfits.
“Target is focused on getting back to growth, with clear strategic priorities that include elevating the guest experience. As part of that focus, we’re continuing to create a more consistent, recognizable in-store experience that delights our guests and helps them easily connect with our team,” reads a statement issued by the retail chain.
The changes include:
- Target employees are being instructed to wear only red shirts, rather than “questionable” shades of red such as burgundy or pink.
- Small logos on the shirts, like a Nike swoosh, are permissible, but not larger images like “a picture of a band.”
- Red plaids or red checkered shirts are also “technically” OK, as long as “nobody would look at it and say that’s not a red shirt.”
- Employees still have the option of simply wearing a red vest if they prefer, or if they do not have a shirt that meets the above requirements.
- As for pants, Target’s dress code policy had allowed for khakis or denim, but the new guidelines stipulate that the latter must be blue, according to the spokesperson.
Sources: KRON 4, RetailWire
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Target’s changes don’t solve a problem
So now, Target managers have to police shades of red, the size of logos, and whether a plaid shirt is actually a red shirt. That shifts managers’ focus away from store operations and customer experience.
It’s a demotivating change, and one that risks hurting morale and customer interactions.
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Target’s management, much like Starbucks management, should want its stores to feel welcoming, and maybe a little quirky. Dress codes do the opposite of that.
“Starbucks last year began limiting what baristas could wear under the green aprons to a solid black shirt and khaki, black, or blue denim pants. According to Starbucks, the move was designed to “deliver a more consistent coffeehouse experience that will also bring simpler and clearer guidance to our partners,” RetailWire reported.
Analysts and experts share Target dress code thoughts
“Retail is a storytelling medium, and the employees are the narrators. When you mandate a ‘plain red shirt’ to force a consistent experience, you’re essentially telling your staff that their individuality is a distraction,” TheStreet advisor and RTMNexus CEO Dominick Miserandino shared with TheStreet.
It’s a move that runs counter to Target’s efforts to build a deeper connection with its customers.
“You don’t build brand loyalty by turning your team into identical end-cap displays. You build it through the authentic human connection that only happens when people actually feel like themselves,” he added.
Cathy Hotka, a former leader of the National Retail Federation, thinks the retailer is solving the wrong problem.
“Target has issues, but the dress code is probably not one of them. I’d be concerned about associate turnover, which is already very high in retail,” she posted on RetailWire.
Scott Benedict, a leading retail consultant, is worried about how employees will react to the changes.
“As for morale, tightening dress standards can sometimes create friction, particularly if employees perceive the change as focusing on appearance rather than operational support. While Target is offering a free red shirt and discounts on denim to ease the transition, any policy that feels cosmetic rather than substantive risks being viewed as a misplaced priority,” he wrote on RetailWire.
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