An ongoing boycott against Target appears to be taking effect as foot traffic declines for the tenth consecutive week.
Foot traffic in Target stores declined 9 percent year-over-year in February and 6.5 percent year-over-year in March, according to data from analytics firm Placer.ai reported by CNN. The downturn comes in the midst of a boycott against the retail chain over its decision to end its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
Meanwhile, Costco — which rejected calls to abandon its DEI efforts — marked its sixteenth straight week of increasing foot traffic.
The boycott against Target began at the start of Lent, a Christian observance that occurs in the 40 days before Easter during which participants typically give up something they enjoy. The action was spearheaded by Jamal Bryant, lead pastor at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church near Atlanta, Georgia, who encouraged parishioners to buy from Black-owned businesses instead.
Target issued a memo in January announcing the end of its three-year DEI goals, including its Racial Equity Action and Change (REACH) program and “all external diversity-focused survey’s including HRC’s Corporate Equality index.” The Human Rights Campaign effort, which provides benchmarks on corporate policies relevant to LGBTQ+ employees, previously gave Target a score of 100 percent, dubbing the company a “Leader in LGBTQ+ Workplace Inclusion.”
The end of DEI programs and LGBTQ+ inclusivity initiatives marked a significant shift for the Minnesota-based company, which once withstood protests from hate groups over its inclusive bathroom policies and Pride displays. However, the change was not sudden, as Target pulled some of its Pride Month merchandise in 2023 amid threats and violent protests in stores.
Though it was originally pitched as a 40-day “fast,” Bryant told attendees at his Easter Sunday sermon that the boycott will continue. Bryant said that the executives he had met with did not agree to meet four key demands: invest $2 billion in Black-owned businesses by July 31, restore DEI efforts internally, deposit $250 million into Black-owned banks, and establish new partnerships with HBCUs. The pastor claimed that the company had only agreed to the first, and would not reinstate its DEI initiatives.
“I told them what I’m getting ready to tell you — we ain’t going back in there,” Bryant said, via local station 11Alive. “If Target doesn’t show up, the community still will.”