What are all the scandals of target the corporation and it’s ceos
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Executive summary
Target has faced a string of high-profile controversies in 2023–2025 that center on its rollback of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs which triggered sustained consumer boycotts and contributed to falling sales and an executive transition; company-wide sales slipped, profits dropped (one report cites a 19–21% profit decline in 2025) and CEO Brian Cornell announced he will step down with Michael Fiddelke named successor [1] [2] [3] [4]. The DEI rollback is repeatedly linked by multiple outlets to lost traffic, share value and investor anger — Forbes, Investopedia, PBS and others tie the policy change to billions in lost market value and to Cornell’s departure [5] [1] [6] [2].
1. The DEI rollback and the boycott that followed — corporate pivot, consumer blowback
Target’s most consequential controversy in 2025 was its abrupt halt to many DEI programs and decisions to scale back public participation in external diversity measures; that retreat sparked organized boycotts and ongoing consumer protests that outlets say slowed store traffic and hurt sales [7] [1] [6]. Coverage across Investopedia, PBS and CNN connects the rollback directly to measurable declines — Investopedia reports the boycott wiped out roughly $20 billion in market value and slashed the company’s stock, while PBS and CNN report slower traffic and sales weakness following the policy change [1] [6] [8].
2. The financial fallout — weaker sales, lower profits and investor alarm
Reporting documents a multi-quarter revenue malaise that predated but was worsened by the DEI controversy: Target endured roughly four years of stagnant sales and entered 2025 with a sequence of flat or declining comparable-sales quarters; some outlets say net income dropped sharply (one cites a 21% net-income fall) and analysts tied the financial underperformance to both competitive pressures and boycott-driven declines [9] [4] [10]. Forbes and other business outlets argue the DEI retreat cost investors billions and materially affected earnings guidance and investor confidence [5] [9].
3. Leadership consequences — CEO transition and governance questions
Brian Cornell, who led Target for 11 years, announced he would step down and be replaced by long‑time insider Michael Fiddelke; reporting frames that move as at least partly a response to the company’s deteriorating sales and brand hit after the DEI rollback, and notes investor unease about Cornell staying on as executive chair with no firm term limit [2] [3] [10]. Commentators disagree whether an internal successor like Fiddelke can deliver the turnaround or whether the board should have sought an outsider to reset strategy [10] [11].
4. Operational problems and store experience — the “four‑headed monster”
Beyond politics, outlets document operational shortcomings: critics point to shabby stores, stocking and presentation problems, and slipping merchandising that eroded Target’s “cheap‑chic” appeal — factors cited alongside the boycott in explaining customers’ shift to competitors such as Walmart [12] [13] [14]. Bloomberg and CNN describe a loss of the merchandising edge and uneven store execution as urgent priorities for the new leadership [13] [15].
5. Legal and reputational incidents beyond DEI
Media reports show other reputational and legal headaches: a high‑profile civil suit in October 2025 by a Brooklyn shopper alleging false arrest at a Target store seeks $65 million, illustrating exposure around asset‑protection practices [16]. Available sources do not mention other alleged scandals beyond these lawsuits and the DEI/operational controversies; no source in the set lists other corporate‑level scandals (not found in current reporting).
6. Competing narratives and where sources diverge
Most outlets converge that the DEI rollback materially damaged Target’s brand and results, but they differ on scale and causation. Investopedia and Forbes emphasize huge investor losses and direct causality between the rollback and billions wiped from market value [1] [5]. Other outlets (Bloomberg, CNN, PBS) put the DEI debate alongside long‑running operational and competitive problems — arguing the crisis was partly self‑inflicted but also the outcome of broader retail trends and merchandising drift [13] [8] [15]. Some commentary stresses that leadership continuity (an insider CEO) risks perpetuating past errors rather than resetting strategy [11].
Limitations: this assessment relies solely on the provided reporting. Sources in the set focus heavily on the 2025 DEI rollback, ensuing boycott, sales declines and leadership change; other potential scandals or internal investigations are not covered in these items (not found in current reporting).