Target to limit number of customers in store , provide masks and gloves for workers

As families continue to visit Target stores for the food, medicine and essential supplies they need, we’re committed to helping team members and guests stay safe and healthy. Today, we’re announcing additional social distancing and safety measures coming soon, including providing non-surgical face masks and gloves for team members to wear on the job, and monitoring—and metering when necessary—the number of people inside our stores nationwide.

“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,” says John Mulligan, Target’s chief operating officer. “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 with additional resources as they fulfill an essential service in communities across the country.”

It’s important that our guests have enough space to shop safely and comfortably. So beginning April 4, Target will actively monitor and, when needed, limit the total number of people inside based on the store’s specific square footage. If metering is needed, a team member will help guests into a designated waiting area outside with social distancing markers, while others will guide guests inside the store and keep things moving quickly and conveniently. It’s another step to encourage social distancing, on top of the signage, floor decals and audio messages already in place at our stores.


Over the next two weeks, Target will begin providing all team members in our stores and distribution centers with high-quality, disposable face masks and gloves at the beginning of every shift, and strongly encourage our teams to wear them while working. We’ll also provide masks and gloves to Shipt shoppers as they enter our stores. That’s on top of enhancements we’ve made in recent weeks, including our rigorous cleaning routines, Plexiglass partitions at our checklanes and other stations, and more.


In addition to equipping our teams, we’ll also continue to support our communities with supplies as needed. 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, we’ll also donate an additional 2 million KN95 respirator masks to the medical community. And we’ll continue to explore ways to secure additional inventory for those in critical need.

Taking care of our teams and guests remains our top priority. We encourage our team members to stay home if they feel sick, and support them with a wide range of paid leave options and benefits to make sure they’re comfortable doing so. We also continue to encourage our teams to practice healthy hygiene habits as recommended by the CDC, such as washing hands often, and following social distancing practices.

As always, we continue to monitor the situation and consider additional safety measures as needed.