Target CEO admits a major mistake amid boycotts from customers

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

It is no secret that Target (TGT) has fallen down a rabbit hole of controversy over the past few years.

In 2023, the retail giant faced a massive boycott from consumers over its pride collection, which sparked backlash for containing items marketed toward children. Since then, Target’s diversity, equity, and inclusion policies have suffered criticism, and its sales have weakened for several financial quarters.

-snip-

Target decided to scale back these goals shortly after President Donald Trump issued an executive order dismantling the federal government’s DEI programs. In the executive order, he claimed that the programs enforce “illegal and immoral discrimination.”

Target’s sharp turn on DEI sparked a whole new wave of boycotts, which appears to have contributed to weaker foot traffic in its stores. According to recent data from Placer.ai, foot traffic in Target stores started to decrease during the week of Jan. 27, and the trend continued over the next two months.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/target-ceo-admits-a-major-mistake-amid-boycotts-from-customers/ar-AA1EIVlC

Not as many bigots as many thought there were.

[hlthe2b]

1. Hard to know what to say... I certainly pulled back shopping there for that and other reasons...

But, admittedly, I've long felt better spending my $$ at Target than Walmart, but... We shall see what happens.

[orleans]

5. same here. walmart is a big no no no for me (and has been for over 20/25 years)

i do most of the grocery shopping at the local grocery store
but for other things it pretty much comes down to either target or amazon
and i'd prefer not to go anywhere near jeff bozo's deal

[SheltieLover]

9. I've not shopped there either, with 2 small exceptions

I needed real cotton sheets for a reasonable price and they have them, and 1 rx that I literally save $400/month buying from them.

[JT45242]

2. If I am stuck with choosing between Target and Walmart ( Iowa City as the other grocery stores are stupid expensive)

They are both evil -- both donators to crap that I don't believe in. I will have to go with cheaper and more convenient.

I know a lot of people who stopped shopping at Target when they caved on Pride.

Going flippity floppy just pissed off customers on both sides. If they had stuck to their guns, I would have done with less convenience and slightly higher prices. But they obeyed in advance.

[RJ-MacReady]

3. too late

Target needs to go belly up.

[orleans]

6. easy to say that but not everyone can afford to shop

at kohls, macy's, etc
or do all the walking that mall store require

[Nanuke]

4. I haven't set foot in a Target since Feb. 1. We now Costco or our local mom and pop drug or hardware store.

[Vogon_Glory]

7. Customer sampling from central Texas

At the risk of offending other DU’ers, I still occasionally shop at Target (They sell better storage tubs that I can’t find anywhere else). However, I do look around at my fellow shoppers here in Central Texas and see things that both Trumpers and Target’s senior executive miss: a LOT of Target’s shoppers down here are Latino (primarily Mexican-American, possibly from elsewhere). I suspect that a lot of Target’s customer base elsewhere in SW border states, the Mountain West and in Florida are also Latino. It is stupid and bad business to cave into to noisy right-wing race-baiters who as likely as not don’t know (squat) about Target’s customer base or could care less about whether they run Target into financial ruin.

I agree that it would be nice if we progressives could change the executives’ hearts to decency and inclusion, but I’d settle for Target’s higher-ups willfully ignoring the bombast and ruinous ideas coming from talking heads, bigots, and know-nothing ideologues.

[Arazi]

8. I don't see any admission of a mistake

Am I missing something?

He also admitted that the company’s lack of communication during the recent controversy has led to “uncertainty.”

“I recognize that silence from us has created uncertainty, so I want to be very clear: We are still the Target you know and believe in,” said Cornell in the email.

The CEO also emphasized that Target’s values of “inclusivity, connection, drive” are “not up for debate” and said that the company is “committed” to sharing how its values create an impact.

“The world around us is noisier and more complicated, but that doesn’t change who we are,” said Cornell.