Target CEO Steps Down Amid DEI Backlash And Boycott

The Guardian reports:

The CEO of Target is stepping down, as the embattled retail giant seeks to turn around its fortunes amid an ongoing customer boycott over its scaling back of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.

Brian Cornell will be replaced next year by Target’s chief operating officer, the company said on Wednesday. Cornell helped re-energize the company when he became CEO in 2014, but has struggled to turn around weak sales in a more competitive retail landscape since the Covid pandemic.

Sales at Target, which has almost 2,000 stores across the US, fell more than expected in the first quarter of 2025, and the retailer warned earlier this year that sales will continue to slip through the rest of the year. Target said people were scaling back spending over worries about the impact of tariffs and the state of the economy. The company also said customer boycotts affected sales.

Read the full article. The cult is celebrating. Earlier this year Target also curtailed Pride-related merchandise.

BREAKING: Target CEO Brian Cornell, who helped reenergize the company but has struggled to turn around weak sales in a more competitive retail landscape since the COVID pandemic, plans to step down Feb. 1. https://t.co/eiEAXWG9Xm

— The Associated Press (@AP) August 20, 2025