Aaron M. Sprecher/AP
Target is limiting the number of stores that will sell Pride Month products this year.
new york
CNN
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Target is limiting the number of stores that sell LGBTQ-themed products during Pride Month in June after a boycott by right-wing activists last year hurt the brand's revenue.
Target announced this year that it will only sell Pride-themed “adult apparel” and home goods “in select stores based on historical sales performance.” It's a major reversal for the chain, which typically sells Pride-themed merchandise at many of its stores in the United States. For the past 10 years.
According to Bloomberg, which first reported the news, about half of the company's 2,000 stores will sell the Pride collection. This assortment will also be sold on Target's website.
In a statement to CNN, a Target spokesperson said the company is “committed to supporting” the LGBTQ community during Pride Month, citing internal programs and participation in local Pride events, including in Minneapolis.
“Most importantly, we want to create a welcoming and supportive environment for our LGBTQIA+ team members that reflects our culture of caring for the more than 400,000 people who work at Target,” the company said in a statement. mentioned in.
Neil Saunders, managing director of retail at GlobalData, told CNN the change was a “sensible approach.” But he warned: “There is a risk that the target will be accused of not being proud.”
“Unfortunately for Target, we're in a culture war that we can't win no matter what we do,” he said.
The Human Rights Campaign pushed back, issuing a statement saying that selling Pride products “means something,” and since the LGBTQ community makes up 30% of Gen Z, “companies should be able to support community members and allies. to businesses to express their heartfelt support for the community.”
“Target's decision is disappointing and risks alienating LGBTQ+ individuals and their allies, threatening not only their bottom line but also their values,” HRC Chairman Kelly Robinson said in a statement.
Last year, Target removed Pride merchandise from some stores after the company and its employees became the focus of a “destabilizing” anti-LGBTQ campaign that included threats against store workers.
The company previously told the Wall Street Journal that people had confronted employees inside its stores, vandalized Pride merchandise displays, and posted threatening posts on social media with footage from inside its stores. He said he was doing it. Some threw their pride items on the floor.
Prominent right-wing activists, Republican political leaders and conservative media outlets have drawn attention to women's swimwear, which has been described as “tuck-friendly” for its ability to hide penises. Misinformation was spread on social media that it was marketed to children, but that was not the case.
Combined with weak demand for discretionary items, Target's quarterly sales, including Pride assortments, fell for the first time in six years.
Target executives said on an earnings call that there has been a “strong response” to Pride products and that the response is “a signal to stop, adapt and learn.”
–CNN’s Nathaniel Meyersohn contributed to this report.