Target store employees will be expected to follow a stricter dress code starting this summer, according to multiple reports. Plain red shirts are reportedly part of the new code.
Bloomberg said last week that the change is “part of an effort to make the shopping experience more consistent and rejuvenate growth under a new chief executive officer,” referring to Michael Fiddelke. He started as CEO of Target last month.
Earlier this month, the Minneapolis, Minn.-based company announced a new strategic plan. It listed elevated guest experience” as well as strengthening its teams and communities as priorities going forward. It also asks employees to follow a code of ethics.
In addition to plan red shirts, Bloomberg said the new dress code requires store employees to wear blue jeans or khakis, citing people familiar with the matter who asked not to be named. According to a report Nexstar citing a Target spokesperson, the “blue” requirement for jeans is new.
This spokesperson confirmed the “really small” dress code changes, the outlet said. They also said the changes were designed to make employees more visible to customers.
“Target is focused on getting back to growth, with clear strategic priorities that include elevating the guest experience,” said a statement from Target quoted by Nexstar. “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.”
Nexstar also reported that the new dress code will go into effect in July and that team members will be provided with a red shirt and a coupon for 50% of a denim purchase before the start date, said a Target spokesperson.
Regarding the red shirts, Nexstar said that Target expects employees to wear them rather than “questionable” shades of red such as burgundy or pink and that small logos (like a Nike swoosh” are acceptable, as well as red-dominant plaid and checkered shirts. Larger logos, like a picture of a band, are discouraged, a spokesperson told Nexstar.
“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,” said the outlet. A video of a customer asking Chico, Calif., Target employee about her shirt went viral last year, according to KRCR.
Newsweek noted that the changes come after controversy regarding employee apparel broke out last December. That employee, Jeanie Beeman, was wearing a shirt related to late Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, a conservative activist who was publicly assassinated last year. Following the incident, Beeman received considerable public support and she was recently honored at the state capitol. Police said the woman who questioned her about the shirt did not exhibit actions that met the threshold for criminal charges.
“She turned a moment that could have gone badly into an example of how we should treat each other. Even when people are rude or we strongly disagree, we can still choose kindness,” said Assemblyman James Gallagher of California’s third district of Beeman.
According to Newsweek, “Target’s spokesperson clarified that the changes had not been made in response to the incident or political positioning.”
There have also been boycotts over Target’s reversal of its DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) initiatives early last year, after President Donald Trump took office. Nexstar noted that the company “came under fire for not speaking out publicly against ICE operations in Minneapolis,” too.
“Target is focused on getting back to growth, with clear strategic priorities that include elevating the guest experience,” a company spokesperson told Newsweek. “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.”
Starbucks – the well-known coffee chain that has some locations inside Target stores – also announced a dress code change. Audacy reported last year that the Starbucks dress code change was met with backlash and lawsuits.
