It doesn’t take an expert to see that the retail industry is in a relatively unsteady place, from companies closing down their physical locations to sky-high prices brought on by inflation. In the face of these challenges, many stores are doing everything they can to keep shoppers coming in and spending their money. However, it looks as though things will become even hairier in the coming weeks for one of the bigger players in the market as a customer boycott of Target is kicking off amidst a serious sales slump.
RELATED: Costco Shoppers Are Abandoning These 6 Products: “Absolute Trash.”
Why are shoppers boycotting Target?
As of March 5, organizers began urging shoppers to avoid spending money at Target for the next 40 days, CNN reports. The call to consumer action comes in response to the retailer’s recent announcement that it would be dialing back its previous efforts in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs.
“We’re asking people to divest from Target because they have turned their back on our community,” Rev. Jamal Bryant, an influential Atlanta pastor who helped spearhead the boycott, told CNN in a recent interview.
The customer walk-out comes just over a month after Target announced it would be scaling back its diversity efforts following the inauguration of President Donald Trump. In a Jan. 24 press release, the company said it was winding down its three-year DEI goals, ending its Racial Equity Action and Change (REACH) initiatives, and “stopping all external diversity-focused surveys, including [the Human Rights Camapaign]’s Corporate Equality Index.” The company also says it’s transitioning its “Supplier Diversity” team into a “Supplier Engagement” team to focus on small businesses.
The move comes just over three years after Target launched DEI programs in the wake of major protests and a cultural awakening that followed the murder of George Floyd at the hands of police. Until recently, Target had remained a relatively active company in the field and generated a decent amount of positive publicity for its efforts.
Organizers chose to coincide the current boycott with Lent, which is the Christian observance of personal reflection and self-sacrifice in the 40 days leading up to Easter.
“In recent days, we have witnessed a disturbing retreat from Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives by major corporations—companies that once pledged to stand for justice but have since chosen the path of compromise,” organizing website TargetFast.org writes. “These rollbacks represent more than just corporate decisions; they reflect a deeper erosion of the moral and ethical commitments necessary to build a just society. As people of faith, we cannot be silent. We are called to resist systems that perpetuate exclusion and inequity.”
This isn’t the only recent customer walk-out.
Target isn’t the only company that has been criticized for its backpedaling of DEI policies. The latest boycott comes less than a week after The People’s Union USA Economic Blackout on Feb. 28, an organized campaign fueled by social media that urged American consumers to refrain from doing business with large retailers, including Amazon and Walmart.
The single-day protest appears to have reached an audience. According to data from market research firm Similarweb, Target saw a 9 percent drop on its website compared to the same day two weeks previous, while its app use dropped 14 percent, Forbes reports.
RELATED: Shoppers Slam Bath & Body Works’ New Collection: “Smells Like Hair Spray.”
Sales numbers have missed the mark for Target lately.
Besides the single day of sales woes, Target has also seen a drop in customers since it announced its policy shift. According to data collected from shoppers’ phones by market research firm Placer.ai, the retailer has seen fewer in-store visits since Jan. 24.
But while the firm warned that the sudden decline could be related to other factors such as harsh winter weather, data also revealed shopper visits to Target had dropped more than to other retailers such as Costco and Walmart. Some who have drawn attention to the company’s corporate revision called this out specifically.
“These un-American proposals are already leading to negative impact to the bottom lines of some of America’s biggest companies,” Sarah Kate Ellis, President & CEO of LGBTQ+ advocacy group GLAAD, said in a March 4 press release. “Target may blame cold weather for declining profits, but at the end of the day, they need to look inward. Now is the time for corporate leaders to lead.”
And there could be more economic uncertainty on the horizon.
The outlook doesn’t appear to be improving for the store down the line, either. On March 4, Target announced it may be forced to increase prices in response to blanket tariffs put in place by President Trump, CNBC reports. The move targets goods from Canada and Mexico with a 25 percent tariff, while items from China will see a 10 to 20 percent levy.
In an interview with CNBC, Target CEO Brian Cornell said that the sudden spike in produce pricing could affect the grocery section. This is especially true for items grown in warmer climates, such as bananas, avocados, and strawberries.
“Those are categories where we’ll try to protect pricing, but the consumer will likely see price increases over the next couple of days,” he said. “If there’s a 25 percent tariff, those prices will go up.”
However, at the time of writing, the Trump administration announced that most tariffs on Mexico would be suspended until April 2.
