Target foot traffic falls for seventh consecutive week after it dismantled DEI

As the backlash against Target over dismantling its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) program continues to roil, foot traffic fell at its stores for the seventh consecutive week, according to data from Placer.ai.

For the week beginning March 10, foot traffic fell 7.1% YoY for Target. Correlation—let’s say it again—is not causation, but let’s not ignore the timing, either: This traffic slump began for Target on the week that began January 27, just three days after its January 24 announcement that it was rolling back its DEI program.

Retail Brew asked Target to comment on the foot-traffic data, and whether it attributed it to its DEI reversal. The company did not respond.

The harder they fall: Target is just one of many companies that capitulated to the Trump administration’s call for private companies to end their DEI program, but perhaps because Target had championed racial justice and social justice in recent years, the backlash against Target has stood out. A 40-day boycott of the company spearheaded by black clergy that continues through Easter had a goal of enlisting 100,000 participants; so far more than 150,000 have signed on.

As was the case in previous weeks, other retailers that caved on DEI saw foot traffic fall, but not as precipitously as it has for Target. Compared to Target’s 7.1% YoY drop in foot traffic on the week beginning March 10, for example, DEI backpedalers Walmart fell just 0.4% and McDonald’s fell 2.2%, per Placer.ai.

Costco streak continues: Costco, which resisted calls to roll back its DEI program, and where many commenters who’ve been pillorying Target for caving on DEI on its social media feeds say they’re shopping instead, is on a foot-traffic streak, notching 12 consecutive weeks of foot traffic gains over last year.

For the latest week, Costco’s foot traffic gain was the near-inverse of Target’s loss: It was up 7%.