As he takes the reins at Target, incoming CEO Michael Fiddelke has focused on four priorities for the big box retailer, including accelerating technology, enhancing its merchandising authority by “curating with conviction,” and strengthening the retailer’s team and communities.
“I began my career at Target more than two decades ago. I’ve grown here, learned here and worked alongside teams and partners who care deeply about our guests,” said Fiddelke in a blog post. “Stepping into this role is both humbling and deeply personal.”
Fiddelke, who had been Target’s COO prior to being named as the replacement for longtime CEO Brian Cornell, said the retailer’s go-forward strategy would focus on:
- Leading with merchandising authority by bringing together design, style and value;
- Elevating the guest experience by making store visits and digital interactions easier, more inspiring and more welcoming;
- Accelerating technology to remove friction and enable more personalized guest experiences; and
- Strengthening Target teams and communities by investing in its people, building future-ready skills and growing alongside the communities it serves.
Target also is emphasizing larger brick-and-mortar stores with its 2026 openings, with five of seven stores opening this spring that are larger than the retailer’s 125,000-square-foot average, and last month, Target revealed that it would expand its wellness assortment by 30% and add new wellness-focused in-store and digital experiences. In November 2025 Target enabled shopping and purchasing functions within ChatGPT.
Advertisement
Fiddelke Comments on Minnesota Violence
Earlier this week, Fiddelke discussed the tragic situation in Minneapolis, the retailer’s home town, in a video sent to Target employees. In a transcript quoted by CNBC, Fiddelke said “the violence and loss of life in our community is incredibly painful.”
Fiddelke, along with 60 Minnesota business leaders, signed a letter calling for an “immediate deescalation of tensions” following the fatal shooting of U.S. citizen Alex Pretti.
In the video, Fiddelke said “I’ve been meeting with a range of leaders and this weekend added my signature to a statement using our collective voice to call for calm, constructive dialogue and deescalation to reduce tension and keep people safe.” Neither the video or the letter mention Pretti and the other citizen killed recently, Renee Good, nor do they mention President Donald Trump by name.
