(Bloomberg) -- Target Corp. will rethink its holiday staffing plans this year with a focus on using its nearly 1,900 stores to fulfill online orders, a sign of the times as customers increasingly turn to e-commerce during the pandemic.

That’s quite a departure for a retailer that has tried to ramp up holiday spirit in recent years, with added in-store decorations and expanded toy departments.

“We’re preparing for a holiday season unlike any we’ve seen before,” Chief Executive Officer Brian Cornell said on a call with media. “We don’t want to just be the easiest place to shop in America, but the safest.”

With Covid-19 still affecting the U.S., the chain is anticipating a significant shift in shopping patterns this year as many customers buy online rather than crowd into stores. Target, which plans to hire about the same number of seasonal workers as last year’s 130,000, will double the workforce that prepares web purchases picked up at the store.

More new hires will also be placed in distribution centers than a year ago. The company’s online sales are booming, with 10 million new customers shopping its website in the first half of the year.

The perks being offered to holiday workers also reflect the continued battle against Covid. Benefits include online medical visits, mental health services and 14 days of full pay if a worker contracts the virus.

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