Overview

• Target CEO Brian Cornell met with Rev. Al Sharpton in New York to discuss the retailer's rollback of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
• Sharpton called the meeting 'very constructive and candid,' but has yet to decide on calling for a formal boycott of Target.
• Target's decision to end DEI goals in January has coincided with a 10-week decline in store foot traffic, according to Placer.ai data.
• Activists, including Rev. Jamal Bryant, have organized boycotts and protests to pressure Target to reaffirm its commitments to the Black community.
• The meeting reflects broader tensions as companies like Walmart and Amazon also scale back DEI efforts under political and legal pressures.