Taylor Swift's next album is creating more than fan excitement – it's also sparking frustration among Target workers who will have to stay late to sell it.
The retailer announced that about 500 stores will open at midnight local time on Oct. 3 for the release of "The Life of a Showgirl," which will include Target-exclusive variants alongside the standard edition. Fans are expected to line up in the early hours to grab copies, a tradition for many Swift releases.
Employees Frustrated by Schedule Changes
While the move could boost sales, some employees are unhappy about the schedule change. Most Target locations typically close at 11 p.m. One worker on Reddit said, "Don't get me wrong, I love some Taylor Swift but is it necessary to change our hours for her album release?"
Others were more blunt, calling the move unfair. "CONSUMERISM. F**K THE WORKERS! CONSUUUUME," one person wrote, adding they hoped staff would receive extra pay for the inconvenience.
Another employee commented, "I already didn't care for her and now I'm annoyed. I already leave the store at midnight."
Read more: Taylor Swift Reportedly Wants 'Honeymoon Baby' After Saying Yes to Travis Kelce: 'At Least Two Kids'
Target's Business Move
Some commenters defended the decision as a strategic move to drive foot traffic.
One user said, "At this point Target will do anything to get people through the door." Another pointed out that the company's core shoppers are "middle aged women that have nothing better going on in their life other than novelty seasonal decorations and Taylor Swift."
A Redditor claiming to be a former Target headquarters staffer said the company prioritizes Swift's releases because they deliver strong sales.
"Taylor Swift albums were always treated as top priority because they gave the maximum ROI," they wrote. "In-store activations also resulted in improved social media engagement."
They added that Target is still focused on its bottom line after a recent PR crisis, which explains why the company would be eager to use Swift's release to generate buzz.
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