LGBT Merch from Target may find new home after removal.

Target May Donate Ill-Fated LGBT “Pride” Campaign Products Following Backlash

Target, the big box giant, may be forced to donate products from this year’s controversial LGBT “pride” campaign after facing consumer backlash. The company displayed LGBT and transgender apparel and accessories at the front of stores across the country, including products aimed at children. One garment, a “tuck-friendly” swimsuit in the women’s section, also drew criticism from customers.

Happening Now:

Target has posted a $9 billion loss in market cap in just a week after they faced backlash for their “Pride” gear which included tuck friendly swimsuits and other gender related products.

Just like Budweiser, they’re learning quickly that parents and normal… pic.twitter.com/WtRKlnFWQE

— Travis (@Travis_in_Flint) May 25, 2023

Target, which has paid dearly financially for its corporate activism, is currently reviewing which products from the collection will be removed and which ones will stay. The company did sever ties with satanic LGBT merchandiser Abprallen when it was discovered the U.K.-based company wholly embraced blending satanism and gender ideology.

While Target decides which products will be removed and which will be quietly moved farther to the back of stores, some are asking what will become of the merchandise that will not be sold. TheStreet spoke to one industry expert who predicted it will still be worn but the company will take a loss on it.

Lessons Learned from Target’s Backlash

Jane Singer, the managing director of a company called Inside Fashion and JDT Research, said the merchandise will be too expensive to store. “I’m guessing that (the clothing will) end up being donated,” Singer said. “They can’t sit in a warehouse because warehousing costs are very high. Also, Target needs to get that inventory off of their books to free up ‘open to buy’ dollars so that they can buy new merchandise.”

Singer said there are “lessons” from the backlash that can be learned from Target and other retailers which had campaigns go bust. She compared Target’s decision to go all-in on “pride” apparel to Adidas and its decision to partner with Kanye West prior to a series of anti-Semitic statements he made last year. That put the “woke” company in the spot of having shoe inventory it struggled to move.

TheStreet reached out to Target for comment on what it intends to do with its “pride” merchandise. A representative for the company responded, “We don’t have anything to share on this right now.”

Conclusion

Target’s controversial LGBT “pride” campaign has faced significant backlash, with customers criticizing the company for displaying LGBT and transgender apparel and accessories at the front of stores across the country, including products aimed at children. The company is currently reviewing which products from the collection will be removed and which ones will stay. Industry experts predict that the merchandise that will not be sold will be donated, as it is too expensive to store. Target’s experience provides valuable lessons for other retailers which had campaigns go bust.

Source: The Western Journal