MINNEAPOLIS, April 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- As Target (NYSE:
TGT) stores across the country continue helping millions of guests
shop for the food, medicine and other essentials they need, the
retailer today announced new safety measures to help reduce the
spread of the coronavirus. Effective April
4, Target will actively monitor and, when needed, meter
guest traffic in its nearly 1,900 stores nationwide to promote
social distancing. Additionally, Target will supply its more than
350,000 team members in stores and distribution centers with face
masks and gloves to wear at work, while continuing to encourage
healthy hygiene habits as provided by the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC). These updates are on top of action
the company has taken in recent weeks with the health and safety of
its guests and team members in mind, such as rigorous cleaning
routines at its stores and distribution centers; social distancing
measures like floor signage to encourage guests and team members to
remain six feet apart; Plexiglass partitions at all registers; and
contactless order pickup and home delivery.
"We're incredibly proud of the commitment our more than 350,000
frontline team members have demonstrated to ensure millions of
guests can count on Target, and we'll continue to focus our efforts
on supporting them," said John
Mulligan, executive vice president and chief operating
officer, Target. "The measures we're announcing today are aimed at
ensuring we are creating a safe environment for the guests who
continue to turn to Target, while also providing our team will
additional resources as they fulfill an essential service in
communities across the country."
Store Traffic Monitoring and Metering
To promote social distancing with its team and guests, Target will
monitor store traffic, and meter, or limit, the number of guests
inside stores, when needed. Occupancy limits will vary by location
and be determined by the store's specific square footage to enhance
the average space per person and reduce the possibility of
congestion. If metering is required, a Target team member will
provide a designated waiting area outside with social distancing
markers.
Face masks and gloves for all frontline Target team
members
Target will provide all team members in stores and distribution
centers with high-quality, disposable face masks and gloves to wear
at the beginning of every shift and strongly encourage that they be
worn while working. Shoppers with Shipt, the same-day delivery
service owned by Target, also will be able to obtain masks and
gloves at stores across the country. All stores and distribution
centers will receive face masks and gloves within the next two
weeks.
Donations to the medical community
On top of Target's previous donations of anti-viral and N95
respirator masks to first responders and healthcare professionals
at more than 50 organizations across the country, the retailer also
announced that it will donate an additional 2 million KN95
respirator masks to the medical community. It will continue to
explore ways to secure additional inventory for those in critical
need.
Encouraging healthy hygiene habits
Target is continuing to provide guidance to encourage its team
members to practice healthy hygiene habits, as recommended by the
CDC, including asking them to stay at home if they are sick. To
date, Target has implemented enhanced benefits to support its team
members, including:
- Investing more than $300 million,
including higher hourly wages for frontline team members through at
least May 2, which amounts to
$240-$480 per team member. Also, for the first time,
Target's paying out bonuses to the 20,000 team leads who manage
individual departments in stores.
- Extending benefits to team members, including waiving Target's
absenteeism policy, offering quarantine pay for 14 days and
confirmed illness pay at 100% for 14 days, and making backup care
available to all team members.
- Offering the opportunity to team members who are 65 or older,
considered among the most vulnerable by the CDC, or are pregnant to
take a fully-paid leave for up to 30 days.
- Offering dedicated shopping hours so front-line team members
can purchase the essentials they and their families need.
About Target
Minneapolis-based Target
Corporation (NYSE: TGT) serves guests at nearly 1,900 stores and at
Target.com. Since 1946, Target has given 5% of its profit to
communities, which today equals millions of dollars a week. For
the latest store count or for more information,
visit Target.com/Pressroom. For a behind-the-scenes look at
Target, visit Target.com/abullseyeview or
follow @TargetNews on Twitter.
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SOURCE Target Corporation