NEW YORK — Target confirmed it will not sell its LGBTQ+ merchandise in some stores for Pride month in June, after the discount retailer was criticized last year for its range, which also saw a decline in sales.
Target, which operates about 2,000 stores, said Friday that the decision to offer Pride merchandise, including adult apparel, household products, food and beverages, in its stores will be based on “guest insights and consumer research.”
A Target spokeswoman declined to disclose the number of stores that will not carry the merchandise. But a full range will be offered online, Target said.
“Target is committed to supporting the LGBTQIA+ community during Pride Month and throughout the year,” Target said in an emailed statement to The Associated Press. “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 measures, first reported by Bloomberg, come after Target removed some items from its stores and made other changes to its LGBTQ+ merchandise across the country ahead of Pride month last year, following intense backlash from some customers who confronted employees and knocked over displays. Target also moved Pride displays to the back of its stores in select southern locations last year.
But Target is facing a second backlash from customers upset by the discount retailer's response to aggressive, anti-LGBTQ+ activism, which is also sweeping through Republican state lawmakers. Civil rights groups had blasted the company for pandering to anti-LGBTQ+ customers who expressed outrage over the gender-fluid swimsuits it carried. The anti-LGBTQ+ customers also posted threatening videos on social media from the stores.
Target's latest moves are just one example of how companies are struggling to serve different groups of customers at a time of extreme cultural division, especially around transgender rights. Last year, the Bud Light brand received backlash from customers angry about its attempt to expand its customer base by partnering with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney.
Target, based in Minnesota, and other retailers including Walmart and H&M had been expanding their LGBTQ+ displays to celebrate Pride month for about a decade. But last year, transgender issues — including gender-affirming health care and participation in sports — were a divisive topic in state legislatures, and the response has turned hostile.
But Target's move to scale back its Pride merchandise presence this year isn't unexpected.
Last August, CEO Brian Cornell told reporters that Target learned from the backlash and said it will be more thoughtful in offering merchandise during the heritage months, which celebrate different ethnic and marginalized groups. Target said it will have a slightly more focused assortment and will reconsider the mix of its own and national brands with its third-party partners.
“As we navigate an ever-changing operational and social environment, we are applying what we have learned to ensure we remain close to our guests and their expectations of Target,” he said.
