Target doesn’t want another Pride Month backlash. The retailer appears to be making good on its promise that it would change this year’s promotion after it faced swift backlash last year, which led to a decline in sales.
Bloomberg, citing unnamed sources with knowledge of the situation, reports that the company will still offer all of its LGBTQ+ merchandise online, but has yet to determine which physical stores will sell the products. Target may end up selling its Pride line at just half its U.S. locations, Bloomberg reports. The chain has almost 2,000 stores nationwide.
The big-box retailer wasn’t alone in last year’s Pride backlash. Bud Light and Nike also faced criticism for working with the transgender influencer, Dylan Mulvaney.
A Target spokesperson told Bloomberg that the retailer “is committed to supporting the LGBTQIA+ community during Pride Month and year-round.” The retailer plans to offer Pride products that span apparel, home, and food.
Target’s latest move comes as consumers are still dealing with elevated levels of inflation and cutting back on discretionary spending.
The company’s shift in its Pride collection operations is also just one of the many changes it has been making. Earlier this month, Target said it wanted to take its private label brand global. And in April it said it was upping its self-checkout technology after limiting the number of items customers could use at the standalone kiosks. That same month, it launched its paid membership in a bid to keep up with Walmart and Amazon.
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