A boycott of Target beginning in January coincided with sharp declines in foot traffic at nearly 2,000 stores. The boycott followed Target's decision to forego diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, aligning with similar moves by Amazon and Walmart. Target announced a CEO departure in February 2026 with an internal successor named. The leadership change prompted continued calls for substantive culture change rather than leadership shifts alone. Retail analysts note prior slumps and planned turnover complicate attribution, while boycott coalitions maintain that sustained pressure aims to restore DEI commitments.
Organizers of a Target boycott that began in January are pointing to their tactics as a hopeful sign that actions against corporate retailers can still make a deep impact. When Target announced its current chief executive officer will be stepping down in February 2026 and an insider was taking the helm, those organizers saw it as a move in the right direction and stress more than ever that boycotts will continue as long as previous promises made to the public go unfulfilled.
"It's been now nearly 200 days and what all the statistics and economics are showing that since that boycott was announced on that Monday - every single week since then - Target foot traffic in nearly 2,000 stores has declined sharply and continues to decline," said organizer Jaylani Hussein, at a news conference of the National Target Boycott movement outside Target's Minneapolis headquarters late last week.
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