Target HQ employees return to downtown Minneapolis for annual meeting as some also return to office
Hundreds of Target employees are gathered at Target Center in downtown Minneapolis this week for the company's annual three-day meeting ahead of the holiday season — as some of the company's commercial unit employees are returning to work in-person three days a week.
Rick Gomez, Target's chief commercial officer, announced the change in July in a company memo, noting workers in its commercial unit could choose which days they prefer to work downtown. Target says last Tuesday marked the first day many returned to the office.
"Team members tell us they see the benefit from the in-person connection and collaboration that's a part of being in the office," a company spokesperson said in a statement from July. "At this point, individual leaders are empowered to make decisions for their teams based on company guidance as well as what's best for the role they play in our business."
City leaders praised the move, hoping to boost downtown businesses that have been struggling since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, especially those situated on Nicollet Mall — which Minneapolis Downtown Council CEO Adam Duninick calls "Minnesota's Main Street."
In April 2022, Target officials began experimenting with a hybrid policy for its commercial unit employees in downtown, Brooklyn Park and Eagan, which it dubbed "flex for your day."
"While we won't ask team members to be in the office with a set schedule or percentage of time, we know our physical offices will play an important role in how we work moving forward," a company spokesperson said in 2022.
Target's annual three-day "Target Together" event for employees is being seen as a welcome boost for business owners along Nicollet Mall, many of whom are trying to make a comeback from the pandemic.
"Target's always been really good. I call them partners, but they've always been good to us, we've been good to them, coming in for happy hours," said Brad Johnson, general manager of The Local pub and restaurant.
Other downtown corporations are following suit, which means more foot traffic for businesses like Corner Coffee on Ninth Street and Nicollet Mall.
"It's almost been like a parade of people. It was a ghost town, and now it's people like enjoying the city, and there is new music," said Corner Coffee employee Brea Woller. "People say more numbers means more eyes, and so it's safer."
The Minneapolis Downtown Council estimates a 75% growth since the pandemic, and businesses are optimistic.
"It's getting there. We knew it was going to take a while, and we were prepared for it," Johnson said.
Before the pandemic, Target Corp. was downtown's largest employer, with about 8,500 workers flooding the skyway system Monday through Friday, fueling the local economy.
City leaders instituted a Downtown Action Plan last October with the aim of drawing in more foot traffic from visitors via a slew of family-friendly events. A major focus of the plan is to make it easier for pedestrians to get around with the hopes of boosting small businesses.
"It's no longer a place where people come into work at 8 a.m. and leave at 5 p.m. It's a place for celebration, entertainment," Mayor Jacob Frey said in October 2024.
Editor's note: An earlier version of this article incorrectly reported that Tuesday, Sept. 9 marked the first day Target workers returned to office. It has since been corrected to indicate that the workers in the commercial unit returned the prior week.