This year has cemented a pivotal change in corporate America.
In 2020, after George Floyd was murdered by a white police officer who assisted in his arrest, many large companies committed to implementing diversity, equity, and inclusion policies in their workplaces after the incident brought to light many inequities Black people face in America.
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The goal of these policies was to advance opportunities in the workplace for people of various backgrounds.
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However, in 2023, public perception of these policies started to shift.
First, in April last year, Bud Light faced a massive boycott after conservative consumers took issue with the brand featuring transgender social media influencer Dylan Mulvaney in a social media campaign. Some consumers disliked Mulvaney’s advocacy for transgender rights.
The boycott appears to have led Bud Light to experience revenue declines for several financial quarters. The brand also lost its spot as the top-selling beer brand in America.
Also, in June last year, the U.S. Supreme Court ended affirmative action, which aimed to improve educational opportunities for minorities in college admissions.
The Bud Light boycott and the Supreme Court’s ruling have prompted many companies to reevaluate their DEI policies this year. They fear boycotts from conservative consumers and legal trouble.
In addition, conservative activist Robby Starbuck, who has a large following on X, has been exposing several companies this year for “going woke” and having controversial DEI policies. Many companies don’t want to be his next target.
Related: Bud Light rival avoids boycott by cutting ‘woke’ policies
According to a recent analysis from Bloomberg, more than two dozen public companies mentioned DEI as a risk factor in their securities filings.
As the anti-woke movement gains momentum, many retailers this year have drastically decided to cut their DEI policies. Here are five companies that participated in this growing trend in 2024.
1.) Tractor Supply
After facing boycott threats from consumers for “going woke,” Tractor Supply (TSCO) announced in June that it would cut its DEI job roles and goals and stop sponsoring “nonbusiness activities” such as pride festivals and voting campaigns. It also said it would withdraw its carbon emissions goals and stop reporting data to the Human Rights Campaign.
Eric Glenn / Shutterstock
“We have heard from customers that we disappointed them,” said Tractor Supply in a statement on X in June. “We have taken this feedback to heart.”
2.) Harley-Davidson
In July, consumers threatened to boycott Harley-Davidson (HOG) for allegedly having DEI initiatives. But in August, the company revealed in a statement on X that it axed its DEI function months ago.
Shutterstock-Dmytro Vietrov
Harley-Davidson, however, vowed to ensure that its business resource groups “exclusively focus on professional development, networking, and mentoring” going forward. It also promised to remove “socially motivated content” from its employee training and will put its sponsorships and affiliations under “review.”
“Earlier this year, we initiated an internal stakeholder review to better align the Company activities to the needs of both our business and community,” said Harley-Davidson in its statement on X.
More Retail:
- Dollar Tree issues stern warning about its pricing
- Foot Locker sounds the alarm on a concerning customer behavior
- Amazon accused of concealing a major change to Prime delivery
3.) Lowe’s
In August, the Lowe’s (LOW) sent an internal memo revealing that it will be scaling back its DEI goals. Some of those changes include axing individual employee groups representing diverse identities at the company and putting them all under “one umbrella organization.”
Lowe’s also withdrew participation in the Human Rights Campaign survey, which tracks LGBTQ+ corporate policies and practices. It also said that it will not support certain community events, such as festivals and parades, that are not aligned with its top three philanthropic focus areas.
“Like many other companies, in July 2023, after the Supreme Court’s decision in the Harvard/UNC cases, we began reviewing our diversity and inclusion programs to ensure they are lawful and aligned with our commitment to include everyone in the incredible opportunities here at Lowe’s and ensure that no one is excluded,” said Lowe’s in the memo.
4.) Walmart
Earlier this month, Walmart (WMT) revealed that it will be cutting a few DEI initiatives.
The retailer said that it will cease participation in the Human Rights Campaign survey, and Funding for Pride and other events will be reviewed to ensure that sexually inappropriate content directed at children isn’t being funded.
Walmart will also remove transgender products marketed to children from its stores and discontinue its racial equity training for employees. It will also evaluate its supplier diversity programs to ensure that they don’t provide preferential treatment and benefits to suppliers based on race and abandon its five-year commitment to expand its Racial Equity Center.
“We’ve been on a journey and know we aren’t perfect, but every decision comes from a place of wanting to foster a sense of belonging, to open doors to opportunities for all our associates, customers, and suppliers, and to be a Walmart for everyone,” said a Walmart spokesperson in a statement to TheStreet.
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