People walk on the target store at Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States on 6 March 2025.
Mustafa Basim | Anadolu | Getty images
Target CEO Brian Cornell met Rev al -Sharpton in New York on Thursday as the retailer called for a boycott and then began on foot traffic Gone back Major diversity, equity and inclusion program, civil rights leader told CNBC on Wednesday.
The meeting, which was sought for the target, urges consumers after some civil rights groups not to shop on the target in response to the retailer’s decision to cut back on DEI. While Sharpton has not yet invited to boycott the target, he has supported others efforts to stop shopping at the retailer’s store.
“You can’t come elections and suddenly, change your old positions,” Sharpton told CNBC in an interview before the meeting. “If an election determines your commitment to fairness, it is fine, you have the right to withdraw from us, but then we have the right to withdraw from you.”
Target CEO Brian Cornell (Center) meets Rev al -Sharpton (right) in New York on 17 April 2025.
National work network
The civil rights leader said that he would consider calling for a target boycott if the company does not confirm its commitment to the black community and vows Work and invest in black-owned businesses,
“I said,” if [Cornell] Wants to have a clear meeting, we will meet, “Sharpton said about the phone call target made in his office. “I want to hear first what he has to say.”
A target spokesperson confirmed the CNBC that the company approached Sharpton for a meeting and Cornell would talk to him in New York this week. The company rejected further comments.
Thursday afternoon, Sharpton released a statement after the meeting, called it “creative and clear”.
“I am going to inform my colleagues, including Rev Dr. Jamal Bryant about our discussion, what are my feelings, and we will go from there,” Sharapton said.
Bryant, a pastor of the Atlanta region, organized a 40 -day boycott of the target starting in early March. The pastor has weighed whether to increase it and Sharpton considered a boycott national. The National Action Network, the Civil Rights Organization of Sharpton, said that the Easter holiday counseling with the board of directors of Sharpton Naan is going to “determine any next step with the target” and other companies are going to spend to bring back DEI programs or pledge.
In January, Targate said it would end its three-year DEI goals, now the company’s report with external diversity-centered groups such as the Corporate Equity Index of the Human Rights Campaign does not share the report of the company and ends specific efforts to achieve more products from black and minority-owned businesses on its shelves.
A few days after the announcementThe foot traffic at target shops started slowing down. Since the week of 27 January, an analytics firm, which uses unknown data from mobile devices to estimate the overall visits at places, has declined for 10 weeks to 10 weeks to 10 weeks to 10 weeks in target foot traffic. Before the week of 27 January, the target traffic was up weekly in the weekly year.
The metric, which travels to brick-and-mortar locations, does not occupy sale in stores or online, but may indicate which retailers are making stable businesses. While the target is struggling to increase its sales for months Shopkeepers see their expensesSome civil rights groups and social media users criticized DEI’s decision and urged shopkeepers to spend their money.
Lakshya refused to comment on figures, stating that it does not discuss third party data.
At Nan’s conference earlier this month, Sharpton said that the group will call for a boycott PepsiCo If the company did not agree to meet the organization within 21 days. In February, the Food and Beverages Company, behind brands such as Doritos and Mountain Dew, announced that it would end its DEI workforce representation goals and with other changes, converting the role of its chief DEI officer into another position.
This week, the leaders of Pepsi met with Sharpton and his team. He did not confirm whether Pepsi had committed any commitment, but said it was encouraging that Pepsi CEO Ramon Laguarta participated. He said that both will continue their discussion.
Sharpton meetings with companies including PepsiCo and Target – and their openness to boycott – one of the first meaningful attempts to push back against war conservative activists such as Marki Starbak has teased DEI. A film director-activist Starbuck has urged companies to leave the DEI policies by sharing what has understood information about information about their initiative with their social media followers. He has successfully pressurized a wide range of corporate veterans to reconsider his programs.
The target is included in the wider dei retreat
With his decision to refund DEI efforts, cheap chic retailer joined the target Wal-mart, McDonald’s, Tractor supply And a sleep of other people that eliminate at least some DI initiative because they were worried that programs could be done Separate some customers Or they have vowed to end every dei program in the Crosshare of President Donald Trump, who has vowed to end every dei program in the federal government.
Unlike the decision of the target CostcoWhich shook pressure from conservative activists to maintain their DEI programs. Membership-based wholesale club shareholder A proposal rejected In late January, which requested a report on the risks of DEI initiative.
Naan has called for the so-called “by-cotes” in costco, and has brought people to shops in Tennessi, New York and New Jersey. This gave them gift cards to shop at Warehouse Club.
In the month of March, target’s store traffic declined by 6.5%, while Metric CostCo, Placer.AI data show increased by 7.5% year -on -year.
The challenges of the target are darker than the DEE Bailsh, and its resistance to its policy change has only been added to its issues. The annual revenue of the discount has been almost flat for four years in a line as it is constantly struggling to get sales benefits.
Margin has been under pressure, as consumers buy grocery goods and requirements and less than more profitable categories such as household items and clothes. And in recent years, the company has pinned its problems in a laundry list of problems, including Being wrong inventoryLose money from Stolen, damaged goods And other types of inventory loss; Backlash for your collection for pride month And Pricier costs by participating in shipment,
‘what changed?’
In his meeting with Cornell, Sharpton said that he would ask for the target for the target through the vows made after killing George Floid in the company’s hometown, the company.
“You made commitments based on George Floid Movement … what changed?” Sharptton said. “Are you trying to say … everything is fine now, because the election has changed? It’s derogatory for us.”
In view of Floid’s murder, Cornell said the incident shifted him.
“This could be one of my target team members,” Cornell said In 2021 At an event organized by The Economic Club of Chicago, remembering his ideas, because he saw the video of Floid taking his last breath.
At that time, he said that it inspired him to carry forward the target efforts to fight racial inequalities.
He said, “We have to become a role model that changes and our voice is important.” “We have got to ensure that we represent our company’s principles, our values, the purpose of our company on issues that are important for our teams.”
