Target's Popularity Hits Rock Bottom as Boycott Hurts Brand
Costco and Dollar Tree.Target's popularity in the second quarter of this year was 65 percent among 1,560 respondents nationwide—its lowest since it began being tracked in the third quarter of 2020.
Target previously enjoyed highs of 71 percent during 2021. Now, 15 percent of respondents dislike the brand, while 19 percent were neutral toward it.Newsweek approached Target via email for comment on Friday.It comes after the retail chain was subject to calls for a boycott from conservatives who objected to items in its LGBTQ+ Pride range, which the retailer was forced to scale down following threats to staff.Target was among a plethora of brands to face backlash over advocacy of the LGBTQ+ community of late.
While experts have said such campaigns provide an opportunity for brands to appeal to consumers in new markets, critics have accused companies of alienating their traditional customer base.The retailer stated in May that it would remove some items from the range that it said had been "at the center of the most significant confrontational behavior" following threats to staff.
The items include "tuck-friendly" swimsuits for transgender individuals and some children's products. A Target spokesperson previously told Newsweek that these were pulled due to "threats impacting our team members' sense of safety and wellbeing while at work."Target stores across the U.S.
