Target Shuts Down Comments Section On TikTok As Boycotts Over DEI Rollback Continues

TikTok users have flooded Target's account with comments praising DEI-affirming companies like Costco.

Target is attempting to stop the hate train in its TikTok comments section over backlash on its DEI scale-down.

Target recently joined the crowd of other retailers scaling down their diversity initiatives amid Trump’s anti-DEI policies. Since then, many have called for boycotts, while calling out the company’s flimsy stance toward uplifting shoppers and entrepreneurs of color.

This result has led to TikTok users commenting underneath Target’s posts to share their support for DEI-affirming companies like Costco. The backlash has gotten so rampant that Target had to shut down comments on some of its TikTok videos.

@target #TargetCircleWeek ♬ original sound – target

“So target is 5 minutes away & Costco’s 30 min. The way my DEI is setup I’ll be going to Costco’s,” typed a user, as reported by Buzzfeed.

Another commented, “Headed to Costco to diversify my spending. “

“I’d walk 10 miles to Costco before I drive a mile to Target. They never run out of inclusion over there,” wrote another.

Target used to be a major face in the corporate push toward DEI, leaving many to feel slighted by its recent shift away from such efforts. The massive boycotts launched by vocal advocates, from pastors to civic leaders, has also created a dent in the retailer’s profits.

According to Forbes, the company announced that fourth quarter sales dropped 3%, while describing its February topline performance as “soft.” On the popular Feb. 28 Blackout day, Target’s web traffic also suffered a 9% drop.

For many Black shoppers, the importance of where they spend their dollars remains prevalent as ever, as multiple retailers scale back DEI efforts. Some shoppers expressed feelings of “betrayal” especially as Target highlighted a lot of Black-owned brands on its shelves.

“So for them to be one of the companies that is now backing out of DEI, I actually was really surprised and disappointed, and I was like, ‘Oh, Target, I gave you guys all my money,’” explained Dawn Hardy to NBC News.

For some, the reversal was enough to remember their own ancestor’s plight to spark change. One shopper has no plans to ever return to the red circle.

“When I think about our ancestors who boycotted the bus system for over a year, the extreme temperatures and things that they endured, it’s like what, I’m complaining about shopping at Target,” asserted Atlanta resident Jasmin Robinson. “Absolutely not. I don’t ever have to shop there again.”