The Dual Crisis: 5 Shocking Reasons Why Target Is Facing A Massive, Ongoing Boycott

The retail giant Target Corporation is currently navigating a complex and financially damaging consumer boycott, but the reasons behind the backlash are not what many people think. As of late 2025, the company finds itself caught in a "cultural whiplash," facing a significant, new boycott from civil rights groups and Black consumers over its decision to abandon key Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives. This new wave of consumer action follows the highly publicized 2023 controversy over the LGBTQ+ Pride Collection, creating a dual-front crisis that has severely impacted the company's financial health, including a major stock plummet and the departure of its CEO.

The current situation is a dramatic shift from the initial, conservative-led boycott. Today, Target is being targeted by activists who argue the corporation has abandoned its social justice commitments, leading to a projected decline in annual sales and profits for 2025. Understanding the full scope requires looking at both the older cultural wars and the more recent, financially impactful reversal of corporate values.

The Latest Crisis: Why Target’s DEI Rollback Sparked a Nationwide Boycott (2024-2025)

The most recent and financially devastating consumer action against Target stems from its decision to scale back or completely abandon its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs. This move, which began in late 2024, was interpreted by many as a capitulation to conservative political pressure and a betrayal of the social justice commitments the company made following the 2020 murder of George Floyd.

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• The Abandonment of DEI Initiatives: Target's decision to ban or limit its DEI initiatives, which included investments in Black communities and commitments to spending with Black vendors, triggered an immediate and organized response from activists.
• The February 2025 Boycott Launch: Civil rights organizations, led by figures like attorney Nekima Levy Armstrong, announced a nationwide, indefinite boycott of Target stores starting on February 1, 2025, specifically in protest of the anti-DEI policies. This action is a direct reversal of the initial boycott narrative.
• Perceived Betrayal of Social Justice Pledges: After the 2020 unrest, Target—headquartered in Minneapolis—pledged millions toward social justice causes and committed to significantly increasing its sourcing from Black-owned businesses. The DEI rollback is seen by many Black consumers and allies as a deep betrayal of these promises, leading to a powerful consumer movement.

This consumer backlash is having a visible effect on the company’s bottom line, causing a massive decline in store traffic and sales.

The Financial Fallout: How the Boycott Has Crushed Target’s Stock and Sales

The ongoing dual boycotts—both the initial one over the Pride Collection and the current, larger one over the DEI rollback—have created a volatile financial environment for the NYSE-listed retail giant (TGT). The financial performance in 2024 and 2025 clearly demonstrates the power of organized consumer movements in the current cultural climate.

Massive Stock Plummet and Market Value Loss

The most alarming sign of the boycott’s impact is the steep decline in Target’s stock price. The fallout from the anti-DEI decision alone has wiped out billions in market value, shocking investors and analysts.

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• 33% Stock Plunge: Target Corp.'s (TGT) stock plummeted by approximately 33% following the rollback of its diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.
• $20 Billion in Market Value Lost: This stock decline resulted in the loss of over $20 billion in market capitalization, signaling a massive loss of investor confidence.
• 2025 Sales Decline: In the first quarter of 2025, Target reported a nearly 3% drop in sales as a direct result of the consumer boycott over the DEI reversal.

The challenging economy compounded the issue, but the consumer backlash remains a primary factor in the company’s struggle to meet profit and sales projections for 2025.

CEO Departure and Corporate Instability

The severe and sustained financial pressure led to a major leadership change. Target's CEO, Brian Cornell, announced he would be stepping down as the company struggled to turn around its fortunes amid weak sales and the continuous customer boycott. This change highlights the severity of the "cultural whiplash" the company is experiencing.

The Precedent: The 2023 Pride Collection Controversy

While the 2025 boycott focuses on DEI, the foundation of Target's current crisis began in 2023 with the backlash over its annual LGBTQ+ Pride Collection. This controversy set the stage for the company's subsequent, and now heavily criticized, reactive corporate decisions.

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• Initial Conservative Backlash: In 2023, Target faced a boycott from conservative groups over the nature and placement of some of its Pride-themed merchandise, particularly items aimed at children or those deemed inappropriate by critics. This led to threats against employees and significant in-store disruption.
• The Scale-Back Decision: In response to the initial backlash, Target made the controversial decision to scale back its 2024 and 2025 Pride Collection. The company limited the merchandise to "select" stores and moved displays to less prominent areas, citing "negative guest reaction" and safety concerns for its team members.
• Outrage from LGBTQ+ Community and Designers: Target’s move to limit the collection was immediately met with outrage from the LGBTQ+ community, activists, and the designers who collaborated on the collection. They viewed the scale-back as a cowardly capitulation to anti-LGBTQ+ extremism, creating a second wave of consumer anger that contributed to the overall negative sentiment.

This attempt to appease one side of the culture war ended up alienating both, ultimately contributing to the environment of instability that allowed the anti-DEI boycott to gain such significant traction. The company’s efforts to move Pride merchandise aside to spotlight events like Father's Day and Independence Day in 2025 were also criticized for de-prioritizing the marginalized community.

The Core Entities Driving the Consumer Movement

The ongoing boycott is not a single, unified movement but a complex interaction between various consumer groups and corporate entities. The key players and entities involved include:

• Target Corporation: The central entity, a major US retailer struggling to balance social commitments with profit.
• Civil Rights Groups: Organizations like those led by Nekima Levy Armstrong, spearheading the 2025 boycott over the DEI rollback.
• Black Consumers and Allies: A core demographic driving the current boycott, leveraging their purchasing power to demand accountability for the broken social justice pledges.
• LGBTQ+ Community and Designers: Groups that felt betrayed by Target’s decision to limit and hide the Pride Collection in 2024 and 2025.
• Conservative Consumer Groups: The initial boycotters in 2023 who opposed the visibility of the Pride Collection.
• CEO Brian Cornell: The former leader whose tenure was marked by the cultural wars and the subsequent financial instability leading to his departure.
• NYSE: TGT: The stock symbol reflecting the massive financial impact of the consumer backlash.

Ultimately, the "why are people boycotting Target" question has a dual answer: it began with a backlash against LGBTQ+ inclusion, but it has evolved into a far more damaging protest against the company's retreat from diversity, equity, and inclusion, proving that corporate social responsibility is now a critical factor in a retail giant's financial survival.