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Target’s DEI decision sparks boycott debate
Please don’t boycott Target TGT.N: That’s the message from Black founders and influencers to consumers about a backlash against the retailer’s decision to end its diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.
With the U.S. political climate trending right, the Minneapolis-based company announced the move on Friday prompting calls for a boycott of its stores from labor advocacy group We Are Somebody and a Minneapolis city council member.
The campaign would be aimed at hurting the company’s sales and preventing Target from profiting from products by minority-owned companies, advocates said.
But Black-owned companies and entrepreneurs urged against a boycott on Monday, saying they would lose revenue and consumer exposure, which would harm the brands more than the retailer.
Diversity rollback:Target becomes latest company to backtrack on DEI initiatives
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“If we all decide to boycott … so many of us will be affected and our sales will drop — our businesses will be hurt,” Tabitha Brown, an actress whose kitchenwares are sold at Target, said in an Instagram post.
Target did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the boycott calls.
Building on previous inclusivity efforts, Target in 2022 set a goal of making a financial commitment of more than $2 billion to Black-owned businesses by 2025 and to have more than 500 Black-owned brands in its stores. The company has said it was on track to meet its goals.
Consumers who want to boycott Target should instead spend their dollars on products from Black-owned businesses at the retailer, said April Showers, founder and chief executive of toy, apparel and home goods brand Afro Unicorn, which has been sold at Target since 2022.
“Target is about money,” she said. “Target is not going to remove any of our products if they’re performing well, so we’re saying be strategic with your dollar.”
A boycott of Target could also hurt the growth potential of Black brands due to reduced visibility and geographic footprint if their products start to be dropped from the chain’s nearly 2,000 stores and on its website.
“If you don’t buy our products in Target, they will cancel us from their shelves and make us buy back the products they already purchased from us,” Black-owned doll brand Beautiful Curly Me said on its Instagram account on Sunday.
Some backers of a Target boycott call for buying directly from Black-owned brands’ websites instead. But many founders do not want to miss out on the millions of shoppers who enter Target’s stores every week.
“We have dolls on our websites, but having your dolls in mass retail stores gives you a different kind of visibility to millions and really helps us expand,” Beautiful Curly Me said.
Products on website
Target’s website on Monday highlighted Black-owned or founded beauty and personal care brands ahead of Black History Month, which begins Saturday. Such brands include actress Tracee Ellis Ross’ Pattern hair products and actress Gabrielle Union-Wade’s Proudly baby items.
DEI initiatives sought to address longstanding structural racism and sexism by promoting opportunities for women, ethnic minorities, LGBTQ people and other underrepresented groups.
Arising after the Black Lives Matter protests and George Floyd’s killing in 2020, Target’s moves were accompanied by initiatives to help minority employees advance their careers, diversify its suppliers and ensure stores were welcoming to LGBTQ, Black, Asian, veteran and disabled shoppers.
At the time, many U.S. companies embraced the trend. But the landscape has shifted including a Supreme Court decision against affirmative action and the election of President Donald Trump, who ordered the federal government to end its diversity programs. Conservatives argue DEI is based on favoritism rather than merit.
Walmart WMT.N, Meta META.O and McDonald’s MCD.N are among the brands that have rolled back DEI policies recently.
But Target’s decision struck some of its critics as a betrayal, saying the retailer’s initiatives attracted a younger, more diverse consumer base.
Tamala Barksdale, managing partner at brand consultancy 360 Agency, said Target’s move was “a break in trust” with its customers who believed in its efforts.
Reporting by Arriana McLymore and Siddharth Cavale in New York City; Editing by Cynthia Osterman and Kate Mayberry
Recently, retail giant Target made a controversial decision regarding their Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives that has sparked a heated debate and calls for boycotts.
In a statement released by Target, the company announced that they would no longer be requiring employees to participate in DEI training sessions. Instead, Target stated that they would be focusing on fostering a more inclusive workplace through other means, such as employee resource groups and mentorship programs.
This decision has received mixed reactions from the public, with some praising Target for taking a different approach to DEI and others criticizing the move as a step backwards in promoting diversity and equality in the workplace.
Supporters of the boycott argue that DEI training is essential in educating employees about systemic racism, unconscious bias, and other important issues that impact marginalized communities. They believe that by eliminating these training sessions, Target is failing to address the root causes of inequality within their organization.
On the other hand, those in favor of Target’s decision argue that mandatory DEI training can sometimes be ineffective or even counterproductive. They believe that fostering a more inclusive workplace culture through other means, such as employee resource groups and mentorship programs, can be a more impactful approach to promoting diversity and equality.
As the debate rages on, it remains to be seen how this decision will impact Target’s reputation and bottom line. In the meantime, customers and employees alike are left to grapple with the question of whether or not to support the retail giant in light of their controversial DEI decision.
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Target, DEI, diversity, equity, inclusion, boycott, controversy, social justice, retail, retail industry, diversity in the workplace, corporate responsibility, consumer activism, diversity initiatives
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