Part 2/15:

Recent headlines underscore the severity of this trend. Target, once seen as a retail darling, announced the layoff of 1,800 corporate employees — their first significant restructuring in over a decade. Representing approximately 8% of their workforce, this move signifies an urgent attempt to pivot in response to faltering store performance and public criticism over disorganized operations. The local Target store is a stark reflection of these issues; shelves are cluttered, management appears absent, and customer experience suffers, contributing to consumers like myself choosing to shop elsewhere.