Target’s reputation with US shoppers has taken a steep hit this year as the “cheap-chic” retail chain releases a controversial “PRIDE” apparel collection that includes “tuck-friendly” swimwear and LGBTQ-friendly gear for infants and children, according to a survey.
The Minneapolis-based discounter took 53rd place on the 2023 Axios Harris Poll 100 corporate reputation rankings released Tuesday — the same day the chain yanked some of its Pride merch off store shelves after the pro-LGBTQ messages caused violent outbursts among customers.
Target’s 21-spot drop was the third-largest on the list — behind Tesla, which fell 50 places, and the 22-spot plunge suffered by Chrysler.
Target also scored poorly in the survey’s reputational quotient, or RQ, metric.
Out of the nine categories used to determine the overall RQ score, Target did the worst in “culture,” defined as a company that is “good to work for,” placing 65th with a score of 74.
And the retailer’s “vision” score — determined based on the company’s “clear vision for the future” — dropped a drastic 24 places from 2022.
Target also took a hit when it comes to “citizenship,” defined as a company that “shares my values” and “supports good causes,” dropping to 35th place from 19th place last year.
Target’s worst-rated category in 2022, meanwhile, was “products and services,” defined as a company that “develops innovative products and services” and “offers high quality products and services.”
It ranked 39th in the “products and services” category in 2022 with a score of 78.7.
Target failed to score that high in any of the nine categories in 2023.
About 16,000 survey participants were polled between March 13 and March 28, ranking the country’s “most visible” brands based on nine criteria, including trajectory, culture, ethics, growth, products and services and more.
The retailer has repeatedly been called out around this time each year for taking part in “rainbow capitalism,” which describes profiting off the commodification of the LGBTQ+ community, especially surrounding Pride month in June.
In 2021, Target’s Pride collection was slammed for being “ugly” and out of touch.
For 2022’s Pride month, Target tapped a team of seven LGBTQ+ artists to design its collection. Pieces included genderless underwear and swimsuits.
There were also chest binders — a gender-affirming undergarment often used by transgender and nonbinary people to flatten their chests — and packing boxers, which are made with an extra pocket for a gender-affirming prosthetic.
Though LGBTQ customers seemed happy with the 2022 Pride line, they still expressed disappointment that the inclusive clothing was only available during Pride celebrations.
In 2023, Target is under fire for its Pride collection — again.
This time, rainbow-clad apparel for infants and children, as well as women’s swimsuits offering “extra crotch coverage,” have caused violent outbursts, leading the chain to remove some of the LGBTQ-friendly clothing from its stores.
“Since introducing this year’s collection, we’ve experienced threats impacting our team members’ sense of safety and well-being while at work,” a Target spokesperson said. ”Given these volatile circumstances, we are making adjustments to our plans, including removing items that have been at the center of the most significant confrontational behavior.”
Target declined to confirm which items from its Pride collection would be removed.
Critics bashed Target for offering “tuck-friendly” women’s swimsuits that allow trans women who have not had gender-affirming operations to conceal their private parts.
A spokesperson confirmed to the Associated Press that these swimsuits were only offered in adult sizes.
Elsewhere in the adults section, customers were also upset to find sweatshirts and tote bags with messages that include “Live laugh lesbian,” “Cure transphobia not trans people,” “Too queer for here” and “We belong everywhere.”
The graphic tees were made by London-based apparel company Abprallen, which is headed by a transgender man known as “Erik” and also sells apparel featuring satanic imagery, like pentagrams, horned skulls and devil references.
There was plenty of LGBTQ merch in Target’s children’s section that outraged conservative customers as well, including T-shirts that say “Pride Adult Drag Queen ‘Katya,’” “Trans people will always exist!” and “Girls Gays Theys.”
Target CEO Brian Cornell has dismissed the uproar over the retailer’s new line, saying the products are good for business and “the right thing for society.”
The comments were made during Fortune’s “Leadership Next” podcast.
The executive, whose company employs more than 450,000 workers in more than 1,900 locations nationwide, added that the company’s strategy is aimed to cater to a diversifying customer base.
