Target’s DEI Drama Costs Big As Boycotts Impact Sales

Retail giant Target revealed on Tuesday that customer boycotts damaged its sales in the first quarter, following the company’s January decision to scale back several diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.

Sales fell 2.8% from last year to $23.85 billion, below the $24.23 billion Wall Street expected, with Target now expecting a low-single digit decline in annual sales for 2025, a significant downgrade from its March projection of a 1% increase.