Target has thrown gasoline onto New York City’s holiday frenzy with its brand-new, eyebrow-raising “10-4” customer service policy, instantly igniting the kind of public divide only New Yorkers can deliver. The initiative, which instructs employees to smile or wave from ten feet away and engage more directly at four feet, has become the city’s newest battleground — right between Santa displays and long checkout lines.
To some shoppers, the policy feels like a warm holiday hug.
To others?
A nightmare straight out of a social-anxiety fever dream.
As crowds begin piling into stores for the seasonal rush, critics are sounding alarms. Marketing experts warn that the policy is a recipe for awkwardness, forcing interactions on customers who prefer to shop silently, invisibly, and at the speed of light.
“You’re preparing guests for some really awkward and forced interactions,” one expert said, practically rolling their eyes through the microphone. And in New York — a city famous for “don’t look at me, don’t talk to me, don’t even breathe in my direction” — that hits hard.
But the other half of the city? They’re surprisingly into it.
Some shoppers say they welcome the warm vibes, praising the rare moment of kindness in a retail jungle notorious for stress, crowds, and shoppers who’ll trample you for the last holiday candle.
“I think being nice is nice,” one customer said, shrugging like they understood New York had rules — but maybe Target could break one.
Still, another chimed in with peak NYC honesty:
“I don’t mind a smile… but talking? I’m too much of a New Yorker for that.”
Even stranger, the public wants to know why the friendliness is limited to holidays. If Target thinks smiling works, why not do it in February? Or July? Or during back-to-school chaos? The seasonal timing has shoppers questioning whether the policy is sincerity or corporate cheer-washing.
The “10-4” mandate has exposed a hilariously dramatic cultural divide:
Half the city wants a warm, friendly Target experience…
The other half wants to grab their stuff, keep their headphones on, and never make eye contact with a living soul.
As the holiday season kicks into high gear, one thing is certain:
Target’s experiment in friendliness is now the most polarizing thing in New York — right behind pineapple on pizza and whether the subway should make eye contact illegal.
The city will keep watching — silently or smilingly — as Target’s bold holiday gamble unfolds.
