The well-known retail chain Target, founded in 1902, has decided to discontinue several diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, joining an increasing number of other large companies such as Walmart, Meta, and McDonald’s, which have been pressured by new government policies.
In a memo sent to employees yesterday, the discount retailer announced that it will end its three-year DEI goals, cease submitting reports to external groups like the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index, and suspend a program that supported businesses owned by people of color or minorities.
In the memo, Kiera Fernandez, Target’s chief community impact and equity officer, emphasized that the changes are the result of “years of data, insights, listening, and learning,” and added that the company must “keep pace with the evolving external landscape, now and in the future.” Target, which had made diversity a cornerstone of its guidelines for years, is now reshaping its strategy in line with current trends.
While other companies, like the giant Costco, have maintained their commitment to DEI, Target will join the growing list of multinational corporations reversing course. The decision partly signals the conservative shift gaining momentum in the United States, with increasing opposition to inclusivity efforts in corporate policies.
In recent years, Target’s workforce had seen a significant increase in diversity. According to the latest inclusion report, for the fiscal period ending in February 2024, 43% of employees were White, 31% Hispanic Latino, 15% Black, and 5% Asian. However, despite these strides, the leadership remains less representative of the overall workforce diversity.
