Target can’t get its footing after its DEI program demise and a 40-day boycott against the retailer. Foot traffic at stores is down for the eighth consecutive week
I mean. I never shopped at a Target. So I’m doing my part.
Dam well when the feel like making money again they can stop implying they want all their non white and straight customers to be erased.
15 years ago Target specialized in creating a shopping experience where the consumer could discover trendy, fun, useful items that they couldn't find in other similar retailers. Today it's all the same merchandise you could find anywhere and there's no value proposition to shop at Target.
And just like every retailer, they've vertically integrated their supply chain so that they can shove their bullshit brands at you
Ah yes, Target.
When you think you are too good to go to Wal-Mart, and want to pay 2x-4x the price of price for the same exact stuff.
Boycotts work. The naysayers are wrong once again.
We used to spend a good amount of money at Target and now we won't go anywhere near it. It was great for gift shopping and seasonal stuff but we've figured out better options with retailers that don't have gross values.
So where did you shift your buying to? Hopefully not Walmart or Amazon, who are far worse. Small businesses are not available options in most of America.
Oh no! Anyways...
As a MN native… fuck Target! I tried until they laid off a bunch of people I know who didn’t wanna work in the DEAD downtown MPLS scene when given the new “rule” … savage!
Same here. It sucks since Target was/is better than Wal Mart and the Daytons legacy still had them doing a lot of philanthropic donations. But yeah I haven't shopped at Target in probably 4-5 months now.
Get woke or go broke.
go fasch, lose cash
Remove DEI, DIE.
I specifically bought tomboyx boxer briefs for women at target to support their lgbt inclusivity before they dropped dei. Now I won't buy anything from them at all. I know target wasn't perfect but I wanted there to be more options available for people that need them and target was offering that with dei. Now, fuck em. They don't support the people that make their business possible.
To be fair to target most business is just talk when it comes to these types of things.
Consumers need to understand that corporate support for any particular initiative begins and ends with how it affects the bottom line.
Disney, Google, even Costco cannot actually care about any of these things. The corporate incentives do not allow for it.
thier prices have always been more expensive and close to walgreens prices, they pride themselves as the bougie walmart version. they have also gotten rid of thier own in-brand items, in favor of cheapflationed items.
I've never understood the appeal of Target. There's a huge Target 60 seconds down the street from me and I never shop there except to get one or two items. It's expensive, has a ridiculously small grocery section while clothing takes up half the store, and they're so worried about shoplifters that they have multiple security staff standing at the door giving everyone leaving the stink eye.
I used to shop at Target for clothes, as it's a good place for cheap clothes that isn't Wal-Mart (which I avoid both because I don't like their practices and also just because it's a deeply unpleasant place). Haven't been there since these boycotts began, though, and I don't plan in going back if I can avoid it.
My local one isn't super locked down like yours, though. At least it wasn't last time I was in there. I'd probably have stopped shopping there much sooner if it was.
I know people who like Target partly because of their selection of skincare products, and a lot of their clothes are stylish and relatively durable for what you pay for them. Both of those qualities can be found in plenty of other stores, though. Never bothered shopping for groceries there because the prices are truly ridiculous for a supermarket
It'd a status thing. If you feel shame or whatever buying cheap kids clothes from walmart, cause other parents will judge you or something, then you would feel better shopping at target. Its a way of saying "we aren't poor". I think people that dont associate their identity with items like that dont see the appeal of target.
I'm like you, its too expensive and they have a poor selection of groceries.
I helped with their foot traffic! But I didn't buy anything, because fuck target.
I called to specifically inform them that I was a decently regular shopper, as someone who avoids many "mega-corps", and that in the wake of their anti-DEI move, I would never buy anything from them ever again.
Granted, I live in a city with many shops of various local varieties, and have other options. I'm aware the same chances aren't available to everyone else.
Did you call their corporate offices? Because if you just called your local branch, I can assure you that the person you spoke to could not give less of a shit lol
Thoughts and prayers.
Ahhh snap
I believe the American custom observed here is to shoot a firearm toward school children in celebration of the stock market crash? Idk- wouldn't want a social faux pax!
Don’t choose politics when marketing your store. They eliminated some shoppers with the DEI stuff then they eliminated even more but removing DEI.
Just goes to show how bending the knee to the bigot brigade doesn't work. Are more of the fat orange traitorous fuck's cult shopping there?
No.
Target did exactly what they wanted- first by hiding their Pride merch last June, and then by eliminating their diversity programs- and the only result is the people who didn't shop at Target still aren't, but the people who did shop there are taking their business elsewhere.
Soon Target's going to have to either try to reverse course to save face with their former clientele, or they're gonna have to double down in an effort to attract more MAGAts to their rotting corporate corpse. And as InBev learned with Dylan Mulvaney, that's not a decision you want to fuck up.
they should learn the lesson from appeasing hitler with sudetlands.
Hey, I'm Czech and I do not want Target to own our borders!
InBev stock is up 1.6% over the last year. If you'd bought stocks this January, you would have made about 30% profit.
InBev is doing fine, because they own over 600 brands globally.
Bud Light sales however are not doing fine. Its sales are down about 40% compared to pre-2023 levels, and has dropped from most-popular to third most popular beer. They pissed off the no-taste mouthbreathing MAGAts who were their primary customers by mailing Dylan one fucking can, and then pissed off everyone else when they threw Dylan under the bus immediately because the MAGAts started all bleating about it.
Target is now literally in that same position.
Maybe elected officials that keep defending this moron out of some kind of false sense of protection can take hint?
Maybe they can be voted out?
Have you seen these voters' fucking voting record?
I've not stepped inside a Walmart in over 10 years, I had shopped almost exclusively at Target, but that stopped after they bent the knee.
I still haven't gone inside Walmart, but, they have curbside pickup. Do all my shopping through the app and they bring it out to my car. I don't like that I'm supporting Walmart, but fuck, I've gotta get my shit from somewhere and it's either Amazon, Walmart, Kroger or Target.
We thankfully have 2 options here that one is local, but a bit of a drive, and the other is employee owned. It's probably a bit more than walmart, but I would bet comparable to Kroger, which means I get to support better business for not much more if any more at all.
I’d still say Walmart is objectively worse. Target may have dropped DEI, but Walmart has too and they have multiple known practices to push out small companies, predatory practices and tricks to force their workers to live near poverty levels by denying them insurance and decent pay.
The Walton Family has heavily put money into The Heritage Foundation.
A dramatic downturn of profits at Target immediately after they dropped their DEI policies sends a message. A downturn in Wal-Mart's profits as they conduct business as usual does not.
Oh, I know... but they've always been shit and never pretended otherwise. Boycotting Target is to send a message to hopefully get then to stop being as shitty.
Honestly, it all really just seems pointless.
Have to agree. The Waltons are scum of the Earth.
If the only options are equally shitty, you may as well go with the cheaper one.
I've gotta get my shit from somewhere and it's either Amazon, Walmart, Kroger or Target.
Honestly the fault for this shit storm lies with the government for allowing big box stores and grocery conglomerates to buy up smaller operators and dominate the market. And the origins of that lies with the Reagan/Thatcher trickle down bullshit.
If America could/would have seen through the lies and obfuscation in 1980 I believe everything would be radically different than it is now.
You could try smaller, local businesses if Walmart and Target have not pushed them out in your area.
Walmart thanks you for ignoring the many 10,000 times worse horrifying business practices they perfected. Good for you though, the cause du jour stands.
Kroger has better produce.
Every company/university that's dropped DEI has done so under political terrorism. NOT ONE has said it cost them money, was ineffective, inefficient, a waste of resources, "didn't align with their values" or any other scapegoat reasoning.
I'm not letting them off the hook, though. They were still cowards for giving in to the political pressure, and I'm glad they're having regrets.
I disagree that they've all done it under political duress. I think many of these companies have used the political environment to be shitty, and drop something they didn't want to support.
I think it's just like Republicans over the past 12+ years. Once Trump came along and normalized hate speech, it's empowered other wastes-of-oxygen to do the same. They've always been racists and bigots, but now it's acceptable to do it publicly. I try to do my part by calling it out when I can. Silence is complacency, so I'm all in on name and shame in the moment.
It's not that there wasn't any political pressure. It's that the slightest bit of pressure caused them to pull the plug swiftly.
I think the companies who were led by people personally antagonistic to DEI already weren't doing it. They started it when the political winds were in favor of DEI, found that it did something beneficial for them that was worth the investment (ultimately, increasing profits, probably through PR) and reaped what they could. But the slightest headwinds caused them to drop it, for lack of confidence it would be worth the continued investment. For others, it was beneficial enough this pressure didn't change their decisions.
None of this is likely coming from company leaders caring about DEI for some sort of principled reason, just companies who care about only one thing, reassessing the value of DEI in terms of that one thing, $ return on spend. This is a group who needs subtler treatment than the anti-DEI crowd, this is fair weather friends who don't care. What little we can do is reward those who don't give in to the slightest push.
mainly because of vindictiveness of the trump administration.
Yes im pissed at Target but if alll the extra sales are going to Walmart, that’s worse.
Costco has increased foot traffic for 13 consecutive weeks, so not a bad guess people are going there.
You should be shopping at Costco by default anyway. They are awesome. There are a ton of membership benefits beyond just shopping at the warehouse! (Costco Next, HVAC deals, auto financing, etc). You can sometimes pay for your entire membership with one transaction.
I’m two hours from a Costco here in TN. I had a membership when I lived in Philly and loved it.
Ain't got no Costco to go to personally. I go to a regional chain, but I am suspicious of the prices sometimes (why are the 12 packs of sodas often on sale for 14.88?)
Looks like its down slightly too.
Nope both are being protested against.
TBF, Target largely brought this on themselves before the DEI stuff. They're more expensive here than a proper dept store, and everything is locked in plastic and takes forever to get.
Can't boycott what I already wasn't using.
yup, and eliminated your instore brands, for cheapflation and shrinkflationed items. now its replaced by dealworth items.
You were just ahead of the boycott curve!
Yeah this is a terribley stupid plan. Give Walmart a monopoly an objectively worse company
target was suppose to be where walmart refuse to build, basically it was a "bougie verison" of walmart.
Is the goal general harm, or directed harm that may have a positive result? If Target changes course and takes a moral stand (even if that decision isn't made for all the right reasons), that's worth more than hurting Target and Walmart equally.
I get that. And I hope that Target changes before it’s too late and you are correct.
Haven’t bought from Target since Feb 9. They used to be a store I bought from multiple times per week. I bought from them specifically because I didn’t agree with Walmart or their ethics, and Target — allegedly, I guess — was the opposite. A supporter of the community and social causes. Until it was convenient for Target to not do so anymore.
I have moved to other stores that have a backbone and stand up for their whole community and all of their employees.
Fuck that company. I hope they burn.
target used to have good choices, but lately, last few years thier items are lacking.
The fact that you thought target was ever the opposite of Walmart in ethics demonstrates you were never paying attention in the first place
Perhaps I was naïve and it was always skin deep and Walmart just didn’t care to hide it, it’s possible. But there was a time when yes, I did think Target was a better supporter of its customers social causes. Every company is just a company, after all, but the pendulum going from “we sell pride merch!” to “what’s diversity?” was particularly jarring for me, and evidently I’m not alone in that feeling.
Whereas all corporations are fundamentally concerned with the bottom line, you should shop at those whose actions are ostensibly less evil. Even if Target’s commitment to these issues in the past was merely performative, that performance should be rewarded.
Love to see it. 💕
I went to Target during my errands just to use their bathroom, and was shocked at how empty it was. I was reminded of KMart when they started to die.
in certain areas, almost everything is locked up. this actually made less likely to purchase items.
That’s my area. It’s so frustrating and annoying. I refuse to wait for help, I’ll just get it somewhere else.
i used to love going to kmart back then. close parking. easy in-and-out. no lines and no big crowds, not even friday after thanksgiving or christmas eve.
40 days should be indefinitely until management changes. As in, those who "kissed the ring" must leave.
Good.
Neat we are gonna be stuck with Walmart.... That's better?
This shit is dumb
Costco works well to replace Target so far.
I was just at a Costco over this and tbh, I fucking hate all these stores and it's a shame because at least Target around here was the most tolerable of the big box options, at least before they put everything behind glass with no personnel to open it.
What was it like in the before times, before the Walmarts and Targets of the world took over?
I remember when department stores ruled, and had actual pull. The "right" store could anchor your plaza/mall and they could demand aot. One of the oldest, but fun ones, was Service Merchandise. Even within the store you found what you wanted and filled out a ticket and brought it to a counter, your item would then come out of the warehouse on a conveyor belt which as a kid was like magic lol. Also going to a Kmart or similar store and putting that "must have" item on layaway was also cool.
This place was the cats pajamas!
When a Ma and a Pa fell in love, they coupled in a steamy limited liability relationship. Then they made love—back then we called it “making love”—and three fiscal quarters later, they would welcome a newborn shoppe into the world. Then everyone watched PBS and went to bed without locking their doors.
Is it the boycott or just Trumpflation?
Porque no los dos
Puede ser
I used to like Target, but they suck these days. Even without the DEI stuff.
I'm surprised if the boycott is having any effect since I've hardly heard anything about it since it started. Target around here is somewhat useful though I haven't gone there since pre-boycott. Also when I've gone, I've often taken parking lot delivery, which might not count as foot traffic.
I mean foot traffic being down for eight weeks in a row and then struggling financially is pretty much proof it's working, right? We knew we wouldn't bankrupt them in a few minutes, we're trying to get their attention.
Also - as far as the reason you've not heard much about it, corporate media doesn't wanna show people the power they have. It's simple.
I know there are two events, 1) boycott and 2) foot traffic down. I'm not at all convinced that the two are related more than slightly. Foot traffic down = people are broke and/or more frugal because of Trump, maybe. I'd like to know how foot traffic has been for retail in general.
I didn’t realize they were being boycotted again. Oh well, back to job hunting.
The "Target experience" for me has always been "find product, wait 30 minutes for a cashier". Couldn't pay me to shop there anymore. Such a hostile environment.
Haven't set foot in a Target in so many years I can't remember...
Like a slightly less horrible and much more red Walmart. Blech!!
Fuck Target. Hope their corporation dies.
🤡 🖕
Target USA is heading for the same place Target Canada ended up.