When it announced on January 24 that it would scale back its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, many customers were outraged. Known for its strong public stance on social issues, Target’s retrenchment from some of its DEI commitments felt like a betrayal to the loyal shoppers who had been supporting the brand’s inclusive mission.
According to analytics firm Placer.ai, Target experienced an impressive decline in foot traffic for 10 consecutive weeks, with February dropping 9% year on year and March by 6.5%. While some of the decline could be attributed to weather and the end of post-holiday spending, a broader factor loomed large: a boycott led by Rev. Jamal Bryant.
The Target fast gains momentum
Bryant, the pastor of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Atlanta, maintains the Lent 40-day Target fast. He urged people to withdraw their shopping from the retailer. Worthy of note is that the boycott attracted more than 200,000 people. The campaign sent a clear message: shoppers are willing to act financially if they perceive that their values are compromised.
“They hear me. The cash register hears me,” Bryant said in an interview. According to him, these decisions within Target must tell more about their communities than their corporate strategy.
A change in Target’s strategy
Target’s move comes at a time of increased political pressure. Merely days after Donald Trump began his new term, Target announced overhauling its DEI policies, ending hiring goals for minority employees, and shutting down its ethnic justice executive committee. Instead, the firm launched a new strategy referred to as “Belonging at the Bullseye,” focusing on building an inclusive environment but without specific racial or minority benchmarks. Changes in legislation dovetail with Trump’s executive order, “Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing,” and are a response to increasing conservative criticisms against corporate diversity efforts.
The Community Leaders are demanding accountability.
Bryant and others hit back with fury. After the meeting with Target CEO Brian Cornell, Bryant reported Target was reconfirming its 2021 pledge of $2 billion in spending with Black-owned businesses; however, he insisted the boycott must continue until further action was undertaken and urged Cornell to attend a town hall meeting.
The financial ramifications for Target are huge. Again, by 2026, Black Americans would possess a purchasing power of $2 trillion, up from $1.7 trillion in 2024. Target could really feel it in its pockets if this community were to lose trust in it.
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Impact on black-owned brands
Target’s shift in its stance toward DEI adversely affects the small businesses it once supported. According to Chantel Powell, founder of Play Pits, sales of her product in-store have decreased by 30% since 2024, although online ordering has improved. “People are being more intentional about where they spend their dollars,” she said.
Rev. Bryant’s church has opened the “Bullseye Black Market,” which features over 100 Black-owned brands, many of which were formerly sold at Target. Similar markets have sprouted in places like Chicago and Dallas.
An uphill climb
Target once represented opportunity and support for brands such as Black Men Smile and MelanBrand Skin. Now many feel that with DEI efforts pulled back, they have been left behind. Founder Carlton Mackey claimed the changes “felt like a rug pull,” and co-founder of MelanBrand added that her business has been set back “tremendously.”
As Target weaves its way forward, it will have to contend with balancing a minefield of shifting political winds against its most loyal customers’ values.
