Target Pares Pride Collection

Target (Minneapolis) will limit which stores sell LGBTQ-themed merchandise in the aftermath of last year’s firestorm over its decision to sell Pride-themed products, CNBC reports.

In a recently posted corporate fact sheet, the retailer said it would be selling its Pride merchandise in a select number of its nearly 2000 stores and on its website this year, citing “historical sales performance.” It added that in addition to selling LGBTQ-themed home and food and beverage items, apparel from its Pride collection this year will be tailored to adults. No Pride apparel for children will be sold.

As VMSD contributing writer Steve Kaufman put it in his feature story on the top retail stories of 2023, “June was Pride Month, and Target – as it has done for a decade – filled its stores with a rainbow theme, special merchandise and inspirational signage.

“Then came the backlash on social media with threats of boycotts and plunging sales. So Target pivoted, reportedly moving LGBTQIA-related displays in a few stores from the front to the back and announced it would be rethinking its Pride Month strategies in the future.”

Indeed, the just-released strategy represents a pullback from offering the products in all Target stores, as the company has done in previous years.

“Target is committed to supporting the LGBTQIA+ community during Pride Month and year-round,” a spokesperson for the company said in an email to CNBC. “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.”

“We have long offered benefits and resources for the community, and we will have internal programs to celebrate Pride 2024,” the spokesperson added.