What Boycott? Target foot traffic is up days after LGBTQ collection blowback began.
- At the end of May, Target began receiving backlash for its Pride collection.
- By May 26, the company removed the collection from stores in several states after protests and threats of boycotts.
On May 24, Target pulled its Pride Month collection from stores in select states after facing backlash online. The next day brought word that the company's CEO was defending his decision in the face of blowback from both sides. By May 26, the company expanded its removal of the collection to more states as protestors threatened violence, and #BoycottTarget gained traction on Twitter.
During this week of intense backlash, Target saw more customers walk through its doors than the week before.
While the threats were undoubtedly terrifying, the promised boycott never seemed to happen. Despite the outpouring of anti-Target sentiment (and false information) online and from right-wing politicians and pundits, foot traffic at Target stores for the last few days of May was up.
Target did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.
From April 30 to May 27, 2023, Target saw a 69% increase in foot traffic compared to the same time period last year, Gravy Analytics found. The week of May 21, Target saw 8.70 million daily visitors compared to 8.54 million the week before. And Target's foot traffic was up 12% compared to competitors like Walmart and Costco, which saw 9% and 1% increases, respectively.
To be sure, Target's foot traffic boost is part of a longer-term trend, Gravy Analytics noted in a blog post. Early in 2022, foot traffic at Target declined. Now, it's on an upswing, which likely has more to do with the brand's focus on necessities like groceries and less with the customers' opinions on its Pride collection.