Items
topic_interest is exactly
target
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2020-07-01
Defender of Target
During COVID-19 I worked at Target. I was freshly 21 and like everyone else, was shocked by the intensity and severity of the pandemic. What had begun as a part-time gig quickly became my entire world. In the state I lived in, our store was considered an “essential business,” and therefore remained open. It was my job to stock and fold children’s clothes, maintaining a clean store front in the midst of the chaos. Throughout the early days, I would stand behind my folding table watching full-grown adults battle over toilet paper. They would line up outside of the store hours before it opened to ensure they’d receive a package of the holy grail. Suddenly, folding Peppa Pig shirts wasn’t my only duty. I became the protector of fitting rooms, the hunter of lost and contaminated clothing; gathering items that had been illegally tried on and stuffing them into their quarantine room, to “disinfect” for 3-5 business days. Being an essential employee during the pandemic made me jaded. It offered me insight into the human mind, a glimpse of what panic and fear can do to a person. I saw the worst, but also experienced kindness and empathy from people who understood what it was like to be caught in the midst of the hellfire. For some, Target turned into a safe haven, a place that remained open and reliable despite the madness going on in the world, while others gave up their sanity to keep it up and running. I will always think of my time at Target as a glitch in the matrix; a bizarre patch of time that tested the strength of a part-time sales associate, and humanity. -
2022-05-23
Empty Seating at Starbucks
I have been to this Starbucks a few times over the years. This is a Starbucks inside Target. When I went there years ago, there used to be seating available for people to enjoy their beverages at leisure. Due to COVID, those seats are gone. I hope they get brought back eventually, because while I don't order from Starbucks that often, it was a nice place to sit while waiting for other people to get done shopping. -
2022-05-23
Sneeze Guard at Starbucks
While at Target, I noticed a sneeze guard at the Starbucks inside it. I can't remember if the staff were wearing masks, but that is one COVID-era precaution I saw that is still in use. My sister was ordering something from there, so I took a picture while I was waiting for her to be done. -
2022-05-23
Cart Wipes at Target
This is where you can get cart wipes at Target while shopping. In addition to the thing itself, it gives you information on where to get a COVID vaccine. Wiping down surfaces has become a bigger thing since COVID, as it would help reduce the spread. COVID itself can't survive on surfaces for very long, but it can be there for a short amount of time. Using things like cart wipes is a way to prevent COVID and other diseases. -
2022-05-23
Sneeze Guard in Target at Tempe Marketplace
This is a sneeze guard seen at Target. This is a COVID-era restriction meant to prevent the spread of COVID. Even though most restrictions are gone, these are still up. -
2020-04-10
Labor Job Survey
Graduate student Colin Larter from Minnesota State University is seeking participants for a survey focusing on service industry and factory workers to share their experience about their jobs. The survey is completely anonymous, and he is planning to utilize the data he gathers for his thesis. As a former retail worker, he understands the importance of sharing these experiences. This flyer was shared on the Target reddit page, and likely other places on the internet, in hopes that there would be a variety of individuals participating. -
2021-02-14
Journal - Starting the Service Industry Collection
This journal entry excerpt, written in February, expresses my frustrations with the experiences my friends and I have had working in the service industry during the pandemic, and why it is important to document that experience. During a time in which there has been a great deal of coverage about working from home, those of us without the option to had to adapt to the new procedures in an attempt to keep ourselves safe, and were often met with more aggression and defensiveness from customers than before. While some of this entry is me airing my frustrations, it gives insight into how I was feeling at the end of my time working for the service industry. -
2020-12-05
Covid-19 Notifications
For six months during the pandemic, I worked at Target. During that time, this is how we were notified of positive Covid cases within our store. Due to privacy reasons, this was often all the details we would receive, leaving us wondering if we should be getting tested or taking extra precautions. This was particularly stressful during the holidays, as there would be at least one text regarding a positive case per week. On the week in the screenshot, there were three positive cases in one week. It often left many of us more stressed than we already were with the influx of holiday shoppers, but we had to continue with our work as is nothing was wrong in order to keep the store functioning to the best of its ability. By the end of the year, we were all surprised when we went more than a couple days without a text. -
2020-03-25
Mandatory shopping orders implemented to help pregnant women
When these orders by the state and corporations were released everyone was reading them. These played a very important role in ethics. Governor Baker and many stores like Target released orders to implement for shoppers during the pandemic. There were large crowds, long lines, and hectic shopping everywhere, these orders were placed to help those at a disadvantage. Baker said stores must allow an hour before regular hours for those 60 or older and this included disabled people and pregnant women. Target‘s order specifies that pregnant women were allowed to come in during shopping hours that were restricted to these certain groups of people. This is a very ethical thing to do for these people. Standing in line or being high risk in crowds was very dangerous for everyone, but especially for these people. These orders relate to an ethical archive piece that represents how pregnant women were treated during the pandemic. This was a small advantage for them in these unprecedented times. These were put out to reassure their accountability if a situation struck out where these people were put in danger in the crowds when shopping. Also, they both acted in this very quickly, they knew it was ethically the right thing to do, in order to protect these people with a disadvantage or at high risk. -
2020-09-15
Antimaskers Storm Target in Florida
The video shows a group of people protesting masks in a target in Florida. The protesters can be heard saying, "Take it off" and were playing "We're not gonna take it" by Twisted sister on a speaker. anti-masker, Target, mask, Florida -
2020-03-13
Empty Shelves at Target
When I went to Target to get Clorox wipes for my team, I saw the empty shelves of what should be products. It's important to record the item shortages and panic buying -
2020-05-27
Life as a Quaren-teen: Jacquelyn's Coronavirus Files
It provides a full, comprehensive view of the COVID-19 pandemic in Carroll County, MD, including multiple perspectives on the pandemic. This allows it to tell more than just one story and hear the voices of many in the community.