Target is dialing back on Pride merchandise after right-wing backlash

Target is limiting the number of stores that will sell LGBTQ-themed merchandise for Pride Month in June following a boycott from right-wing activists last year that took a toll on the brand’s bottom line.

Target is limiting the number of stores that will sell LGBTQ-themed merchandise for Pride Month in June following a boycott from right-wing activists last year that took a toll on the brand’s bottom line. This year, Target said it will sell only Pride-themed “adult apparel” and home goods “in select stores, based on historical sales performance” — a drastic reversal for the chain that had typically sold the items in all of its US stores for the past decade. About half of its 2,000 stores will sell the Pride collection, according to Bloomberg, which first reported the news. The assortment will also be sold on Target’s website. A Target spokesperson said in a statement to CNN that it’s “committed to supporting” the LGBTQ community during Pride Month, citing internal programs and presence at local Pride events, including in its hometown of Minneapolis. “Most importantly, we want to create a welcoming and supportive environment for our LGBTQIA+ team members, which reflects our culture of care for the over 400,000 people who work at Target,” the company said in a statement. The changes are a “sensible approach,” Neil Saunders, managing director of retail for GlobalData, told CNN. But he warned “it runs the risk of Target being accused of not being proud of Pride.”