Target will only stock Pride merch in half its stores after last year's backlash led to workers being threatened and falling sales
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- Target plans to stock Pride merch in about half its stores this year, sources told Bloomberg.
- The full range will be available online, it reported.
- Last year, Target's Pride range faced a massive backlash from conservatives, contributing to a fall in sales.
Target plans to stock Pride merch in just half its stores after it faced an intense backlash and even calls for a boycott last year, Bloomberg reported.
The retailer is looking at data for each store to decide where to stock the products, and is likely to sell them in about half of its locations for Pride Month in June, people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg. It plans to sell its full Pride range online, the people said.
A Target spokesperson told Bloomberg that the company was committed to supporting the LGBTQ+ community "during Pride Month and year-round." The company would have internal programs and a presence at Pride events across the county, the spokesperson said.
Last year Target faced a massive backlash from vocal conservatives over its Pride range, which included slogan tote bags and sweaters as well as transgender-friendly swimsuits. The retailer said some people had made "threats" impacting workers' safety and CEO Brian Cornell said its call centers had received "high volumes of angry, abusive and threatening calls."
In some stores, Pride displays were moved to quieter areas. Some workers in Florida and Texas told Business Insider that products related to transgender Pride had been removed from their stores.
Some LGBTQ+ Target workers said that the company's response to the backlash left them feeling alienated.
Target CFO Michael Fiddleke told investors last summer that the reaction to its Pride range had contributed to the retailer's first quarterly sales decline in six years.
Bud Light was also targeted by conservatives last year after partnering with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney, and some Starbucks workers said the coffee chain had banned them from displaying Pride decor, including flags. A Starbucks spokesperson told Business Insider at the time that there had been no changes to its LGBTQ+ policies.