"Boycott over Target's diversity pullback ends, activists say
Leaders of a high-profile boycott against Target announced Wednesday they are ending the yearlong protest sparked by the retailer's decision to scale back some diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.
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Why it matters: Leaders highlighting the boycott's success pointed to Target's pledge to fulfill its 2021 commitment to invest $2 billion in Black-owned businesses, more than doubling the number of Black-owned brands on its shelves.
• Target said no policies were reversed or reinstated as a result of conversations with its leadership and described the $2 billion pledge as the completion of an existing commitment.
• The moment gives Target an opening to frame the episode as a reputational reset under new CEO Michael Fiddelke, who met with boycott leaders in recent months.
The intrigue: The protest 'has been unhelpful to Target' and likely had some impact but wasn't the retailer's core problem, Neil Saunders, managing director at GlobalData, told Axios."
