Is the Target Boycott Really Effective?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think what companies are learning is to never try to appease the left. Target wouldn't be in this position if they'd stayed neutral.

Stores have a target audience(s). (Pun intended.) People who fall outside of that may still shop there. Target betrayed its primary audience. What’s so difficult to understand?

It's target audience is people looking to spend money. It's not a political organization. Liberals are not its target audience. Thanks for listening to my talk on capitalism.

Except…yes they were. Target positioned itself to be popular with liberals— contrasting itself to WalMart, paying marginally better, being overtly progressive, positioning itself in city centers.

If the people who care about those things stop shopping in your stores, well, it’s a long drive from the places people who don’t care about those things live and they don’t tend to have the same disposable income…

I'm telling you that this is a dumb business strategy, as Target has no doubt learned. They could have just continued to position themselves as a more upscale and fashionable Walmart and they would not have had this issue. Costco never did a fraction of the things that Target did to support the progressive movement, and which one of them is coming out on top? The moment you declare a business to have a political affiliation, you alienate half the population and then become entirely beholden to the other half, who will now have you by the balls. The left has Target by the balls and is hurting for it. The right hates it, the left finds its leftism insufficiently "authentic" and it's distracted from its central mission of supplying food and textiles.

Costco has long had the reputation that it treats its workers well, which is a core progressive value.

Treating workers well isn't politically controversial. Target never celebrated pride month. Not once. They do not sell products primarily targeted at trans people or at one minority race. They sell products with broad appeal and do not participate publicly in any identity months. Target was basically the epicenter of pride month and its advertising was overtly identity-politics based to appeal to progressives.

Any way you cut it, Target deciding to lean so far to the left has been disastrous. Other companies are now seeing the truth of "go woke, go broke." Once the progressives have a company in their vice grip, they will squeeze them til they break.

Funny thing, week before Pride I was in Walmart and it was rainbow crap everywhere in the highly visible area where they put holiday merchandise.

[Anonymous]

Backpedaling continues.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/target-attempts-reaffirm-support-black-220000370.html

[Anonymous]

I'm going with yes, it's been effective. FAFO.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/target-cuts-earnings-guidance-warns-about-high-prices-and-predicts-a-weak-holiday-season-113001475.html

[Anonymous]

I am not sure of target can ever recover and become Tar-Jay again. They really let Trump and his goons destroy their brand and stock. The store shelves are often empty to reflect the absent buyers in the store. The stock was once over $209 a share and now it is in its 80’s and falling. Eventually it will have to cut its dividends, which will make dividend investors leave and the stock will fall further. I used to love shopping Tar-Jay. Target, nope.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm going with yes, it's been effective. FAFO.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/target-cuts-earnings-guidance-warns-about-high-prices-and-predicts-a-weak-holiday-season-113001475.html

This.
The American consumer has power. Remember when W told us to go out and shop after 9/12?
It would behoove us to remember we can take down the oligarchs.

[Anonymous]

Are there any other reasons, other than the boycott, that profits are down? Curious if it’s from that alone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are there any other reasons, other than the boycott, that profits are down? Curious if it’s from that alone.

No.

Same thing is happening with Home Depot versus Lowes.

Americans do not like supporting racists and thugs. In capitalism, we vote with our dollars.

[Anonymous]

It’s sad to see Target going down like this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are there any other reasons, other than the boycott, that profits are down? Curious if it’s from that alone.

Sure. Trump destroyed the American economy so consumers have less disposable income to spend. Trump’s tariff tax made imports more expensive reducing stock and choice and increasing base prices which in turn reduced profit margins.

Do you see a theme? Trump. No good for Americans on Main Street or Wall Street.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s sad to see Target going down like this.

It really is, but they did it to themselves.

I haven't shopped there in a year and nothing they can do will get me back, except for going full DEI like they were before. I do all the shopping for my family.

This white woman who also has a disability didn't take too kindly to having them crow about rolling back DEI for minorities, women and disabled people, as well as LGBT people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are there any other reasons, other than the boycott, that profits are down? Curious if it’s from that alone.

Women do most of the shopping. DEI also includes women.

Poorer, mostly MAGA, women or rural residents already shop at Walmart. It's like whoever is running Target doesn't have a functional brain.

And now that the economy is being destroyed, turning away your main urban / suburban demographics isn't looking like a smart choice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are there any other reasons, other than the boycott, that profits are down? Curious if it’s from that alone.

It’s the combination of the boycott— and the impact of Trump’s tariffs, RIFs, and other economic policies. Fewer people have ample disposable income. Fewer people have a sense of economic security. People are spending more intentionally. If you’re shopping mostly prioritizing the lowest prices, Target would not be your first choice. If you’re shopping for funsies, Target — vs Tar-Jay (as a PP put it) would not be your first choice. If you’re shopping based on social consciousness and values, for many of us, Target would not be our first choice. There’s no longer a good reason to shop at Target — and many good reasons not to. So people with options are voting with our dollars.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are there any other reasons, other than the boycott, that profits are down? Curious if it’s from that alone.

No.

Same thing is happening with Home Depot versus Lowes.

Americans do not like supporting racists and thugs. In capitalism, we vote with our dollars.

And most people vote for convenience and price, and usually are ignorant about company political positions, which is why amazon rules the retail world now - price and convenience. Physical stores are not doing as well because of that competition; it's got zero to do with politics.

As for Home Depot and Lowe's, both company's shares are down in 2025, Lowe's by 6.3% and HD by 13.9%, while the S&P 500 has advanced 12.8%. Those share declines have no apparent nexus to the political persuasions of the two companies, as much as activists would like to think otherwise. While a few people may choose to drive further to shop at Lowe's because they don't like home Depot's politics, the reverse is probably equally true. In either case, customers motivated by politics are inconsequential to corporate profitability. Customers want convenience, certain brands uniquely available at one or the other, and service.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s sad to see Target going down like this.

It really is, but they did it to themselves.

I haven't shopped there in a year and nothing they can do will get me back, except for going full DEI like they were before. I do all the shopping for my family.

This white woman who also has a disability didn't take too kindly to having them crow about rolling back DEI for minorities, women and disabled people, as well as LGBT people.

+1
They're actually building a brand new one by me. Don't care. Won't ever step foot in it.

[Anonymous]

It sure is a good thing they sucked up to Trump and MAGA.

Cowards