A Target employee restocks shelves on January 5, 2011 in Miami, Florida.
Target says it won't cut its investments in its team.
  • Target, bracing for leaner sales, wants to cut $2 billion to $3 billion of operating costs.
  • One area the company says it won't touch: its investment in "the best team in retail."
  • Even as tech firms lay off thousands of workers, major retailers are still hoarding labor.

As retail sales return to Earth after their pandemic-era flight, many companies are under increasing investor pressure to find creative ways to deliver a profit.

Target has tasked Mike O'Neil, a senior vice president of financial planning and analysis, to lead its wide-ranging hunt to cut $2 billion to $3 billion out of the company's operating costs over the next several years.

One area that's off-limits, O'Neil said Tuesday, is Target's investments in "the best team in retail."