MINNEAPOLIS, MN - With CEO Brian Cornell continuing on his mission of making Target a destination for groceries and fresh products, Target has announced a new program that will see a change in how its food staff is trained. For the first time, Target will have a dedicated staff just for its grocery department, who will receive specialized training in order to enhance customers’ experiences in the store.

According to a report by The Wall Street Journal, training will include both handling backroom inventory and interacting with the store’s grocery customers. Depending on each location, grocery teams will include anywhere between 10 to 60 employees.

Katie Boylan, Target’s Vice President Communications, told the source that the new program has already been rolled out at 450 stores, with another 150 stores expected in the next month. Boylan said that this new approach is part of an effort “to improve our offering, better cater to our guests, and drive growth.”

Spearheaded by newly appointed Senior Vice President of Grocery Transformation, Aaron Alt, the program will see a new regional-based leadership position called Grocery Director. Each will oversee food-related decisions at about 60 stores and report to Target’s store operations team at its headquarters in Minneapolis, WSJ notes.

So far, Target has picked 10 grocery experts for the salaried position, with more in the works for other key markets. Boylan added that these employees will “provide education and oversight that helps store teams make more informed decisions.”

While the company has not discussed the cost of the program or how the changes might affect worker wages, this investment was not likely made in vain. With grocery accounting for around a fifth of its total revenue, Target has all the good reason to keep honing in on improving its perishable and fresh grocery sectors.

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