Toe Jay Simpson
Searchin’
The revolution will be itemized
Target sales decline 3% with billions in revenue lost. Forbes points to Black people driven boycotts related to anti- DEI
- Thread starter Mister Terrific
- Start date
Cat piss martini
Veteran
Target is much more a niche shopping destination that Walmart. In a lot of communities Walmart might be the only full grocery option.
A lot of people shopping at Target aren’t/weren't always buying essentials.
A lot of people shopping at Target aren’t/weren't always buying essentials.
Dwayne_Taylor
Superstar
At the very least, you send a message to corporations to think twice before embracing right wing reactionary nonsense.
That poster you are quoting is tripping, a c00n or a cac cos playing as a black man.
It's a start. I'm down to keep going
Are Target Boycotts Starting To Take Their Toll?
Target reported 4Q24 sales declined 3% and warned that February sales were "soft." In February the first of several calls to boycott Target began after dialing back DEI.
www.forbes.com
Are Target Boycotts Starting To Take Their Toll?
Topline
Target just reported fourth quarter net sales declined 3% and warned that February topline performance was “soft,” after civil rights leaders called for a Target boycott in Black History Month for changing its position on DEI, followed by a sharp drop in traffic to Target stores and website during the Feb. 28 Economic Blackout.
FILE - A community member holds a sign calling for a national boycott of Target stores during a news... Moreconference outside Target Corporation's headquarters in Minneapolis, Minn., Jan. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Ellen Schmidt, File)
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Key Facts
Target greeted 11% fewer customers on the People’s Union USA Feb. 28 Economic Blackout Day compared with the average number of visits for the previous five Fridays, according to locations analytics firm Placer.ai.
This followed four consecutive weeks of foot traffic declines at Target from Jan. 28 through Feb. 17, though Placer.ai head of analytic research R.J. Hottovy couldn’t credit it to DEI-related boycotts, claiming many retailers experienced a traffic decline during those weeks.
While a Numerator survey among 1,300 consumers found just 16% of Americans planned to participate in the daylong national shopping boycott, Target was particularly hard hit, as Placer.ai found Best Buy visits rose 1%, Starbucks was up 2% and McDonald’s saw an 8% uptick.
More Target boycotts are coming, including a faith-based 40-day fast through Lent and the People’s Union is singling out Target for a boycott June 3 through 9.
Background
Experts generally agree grassroots consumer boycotts do not have a significant effect on a company’s results. However, this time Target may be particularly at risk. Boycott calls are coming from many different groups, including faith and civil rights leaders, and the People’s Union, which is spreading its protests widely across many big businesses. Professor Brayden King at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management shared with USA Today that more than affecting consumer purchase behavior, boycotts put a “negative spotlight” on the company that can have “reputational consequences.” Consumer trust is a critical factor in where they choose to shop and a retailer’s reputation measures that.
Target’s Reputation Plunges This Year
Target has historically trended as a “reputationally strong” company, according to reputation tracking firm RepTrak. However, its reputation took a steep downward turn early this year, dropping from 73.8 on a 100-point scale in December to 66.3 in January, coinciding with the company scaling back its DEI initiatives which set off the first boycott call.
History Repeat Itself?
Target experienced its steepest reputational decline in 2023 after its Pride Month displays resulted in a consumer backlash and boycotts. It had a reputation high score of 76.9 in April that year, then plunged to a low of 60.9 in December 23. In fiscal 2023, Target revenues declined 2%.
What We Don’t Know
Target full-year 2024 revenues declined 1%, dropping to $106.6 billion from $107.4 billion previous year. For fiscal 2025, it is guiding on flat comparable sales with expectations of net sales growth around 1%, reflecting ongoing consumer and tariff “uncertainty.” The company fielded no analyst questions about boycott pressures, but on the subject of tariffs, it reassured investors that it has been “very proactive” on this issue to diversify its country of origin suppliers. While we must wait for any fallout from the gathering storm of consumer boycotts till next quarter earnings, the company credited soft February sales on declining consumer confidence and “uncharacteristically cold weather” across the U.S.
Crucial Quote
“Our team grew traffic and delivered better-than-expected sales and profitability in our biggest quarter this year,” CEO Brian Cornell said in the company’s earnings statement.
Key Question
One wonders what Target was expecting in the fourth quarter after net sales declined 3% to $30.9 billion, operating income was off 21% to $1.5 billion and net earnings declined 20% to $1.1 billion?