Posted on 05/10/2024 6:40:24 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
Target has announced plans to substantially reduce the number of stores that carry Pride Month merchandise in June. The decision comes after a fierce backlash against the company for plastering its stores with LGBTQ-themed material.
This development highlights the challenges companies face when trying to drive revenue while avoiding moves that could alienate its customer base. The Minneapolis-based retailer will limit the Pride-themed items to select locations based on historical sales performance and availability. The full collection will also be available online.
This decision comes after a rather contention Pride season in 2023, when the retailer was barraged with criticism of its pandering to the LGBTQ community:
In a statement on its website, Target said the items will be curated based on consumer feedback and will include adult apparel, food and beverages, and home goods.
“Target is committed to supporting the LGBTQIA+ community during Pride Month and year-round,” a spokeswoman for the company said, adding that the company will have internal programs and a presence at local Pride events around the country to celebrate the observance.
Target faced threats from some customers last year over its Pride merchandise, including bathing suits designed for transgender people, and removed some items from sale. Advocacy groups then urged the company to put products back on shelves.
Much of the controversy stemmed from some of the items in the collection, including swimsuits labeled as “tuck-friendly” with “extra crotch coverage” for boys experiencing gender dysphoria and seeking to “transition” to the opposite sex. Many of these items were brazenly marketed to children, which only made the problem worse. It resulted in confrontations between customers and members of staff. Some customers even tipped over displays in the stores.
However, Target’s move should not be taken as an indication that it is still not intent on catering to the LGBTQ community. In a statement, the company affirmed that “Beyond our own teams, we will have a presence at local Pride events in Minneapolis and around the country, and we continue to support a number of LGBTQIA+ organizations."
Target’s decision is part of a broader trend where companies are wrestling with how to navigate the cultural divides that have intensified over the past decade. It is similar to what happened with Bud Light when it aligned itself with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney, which sparked a massive boycott. The company is still trying to recover.
Read: Whither Bud Light on the One-Year Anniversary of the Dylan Mulvaney Debacle?
This development highlights how the culture war is affecting corporate America. While some companies have been smart enough to stay out of politics, others seem to have embraced leftist ideology to appeal to a certain crowd and avoid becoming the target of the Cancel Culture Community™.
Target’s decision to limit the sale of Pride-themed merchandise reflects a desire to strike a balance between embracing the LGBTQ community and not going to extreme lengths that might alienate a significant portion of its customer base. It is a tightrope that many brands have chosen to walk. It remains to be seen whether the company can navigate this issue effectively.
I would guess all of the Targets in solid blue cities will be carrying the merchandise.
As discussed earlier today, Target having to choose between customers who will stop (or have stopped) shopping at their stores vs the vocal minority who make life miserable for Target owners, employees, and customers who shop in "targeted" stores.
No man has any business shopping in Target. They have nothing for men at all.
Many, many moons ago Target Stores BANNED the Little Red Kettle Christmas bell ringing / fundraising outside their stores. That day I ceased shopping there.
If Pander, they must.
They don’t get my trust.
Target carries groceries, pharmaceuticals, alcohol, sporting goods, electronics, ad infinitum.
Their product lineup is for women not men. Completely feminized. I guess fags qualify too.
Just say no to Target.
There’s plenty of other outlets to buy your stuff, without supporting perversion and pedophilia.
Target?
Nobody goes there anymore, it’s too crowded.
Target in Tulsa used to be a great place to shop fifty years ago. Haven’t been to a Target store in decades even though I often go by one in NW Arkansas. We jokingly call it “Treekillers” as it was built on a site the local University students tried to keep from being developed. They failed.
Wife went to Target to get a low end laptop because they had a sale on a lot of them, and I went along. Didn’t see anything but part of the electronics dept. Our local small town Walmart has a better selection of laptops, and a much better and roomier layout. I was surpised and how cheap and cramped the electronics section of the Target store was.
Right now I’d say Best Buy ranks first, but I’d put Walmart ahead of Target for electronics based on selection and ease of shopping.
Too late. Never shopping there again.
Too bad. They really really liked pride month. They must have the serious sads
Alphabetas don’t spend much of their money there.
They don’t have anything I can’t find elsewhere nearby.
That was the day I stopped even considering going in there.
Too late
I honestly don’t know why people shop at target....its not a good store....and after they allowed males into the girls br, why even go there...
Pride is a glue that keeps sin sticking to a person’s soul.
Too little, too late.
Go woke get broke.
Target tried to push its lgbt bull shit on us all.
I will Never again go in to a target again or any other woke company.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.