Exclusive: Foot traffic fell at Target after it backtracked on DEI

As calls grow among civil rights leaders and Black clergy to boycott Target after it announced on January 24 that it was backtracking on its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts, foot traffic is down at its stores, according to data from Placer.ai prepared exclusively for Retail Brew.

Target’s announcement was on a Friday, and on the following week that began January 27, foot traffic fell 4% YoY, then fell 8.6% the week beginning February 3, and 3.9% the week beginning February 10. It was the first drop in foot traffic this year for Target, with foot traffic for the first four weeks of 2025 up between 5% and 11.8%.

Walmart, which also rolled back DEI (and which has been the subject of less concerted boycotts), also saw foot traffic fall for the first time this year on the same week as Target, albeit less dramatically. Foot traffic fell by 2.7% YoY on January 27, 2.9% on the week beginning February 3, and 1.4% on the week beginning February 10.

Cost-go: Costco, which has resisted pressure from shareholders, 19 Republican attorneys general, and anti-DEI activist Robby Starbuck to dump its DEI program, has seen traffic rise YoY for the same three-week period: up 5.8% on the week beginning January 27, 5.7% on the week beginning February 3, and 4.6% on the week beginning February 10.

On Target’s Instagram account, many commenters have said they’d been loyal shoppers but switched to Costco instead. In a Valentine’s-themed post on February 13, for example, @mavidaluger wrote, “I used to come weekly and now I don’t. Went to Costco and I’m sticking with it!” Added @whipsandflowers: “Costco is my valentine 💕.”

Correlation, of course, is not causation, and Placer.ai, which provided this data, declined to speculate on how much a factor DEI might be in foot traffic at the stores.