(Reuters) – Target plans to remove LGBTQ-themed merchandise from some of its stores during Pride Month this June, Bloomberg News reported on Thursday, after a backlash hit the retailer’s sales last year.
Target plans to offer a full assortment of products online but is reviewing store-level data to decide which physical locations will carry the products, the report said, citing people familiar with the matter.
Target will likely sell the products in about half of its nearly 2,000 U.S. stores, the report said.
The move comes after Target was forced to remove some items, including some transgender swimsuits, from its LGBTQ+ themed collection last year after facing customer backlash and confrontations between shoppers and employees at some stores. Target blamed the backlash in part for falling sales in the second quarter of last year.
On Thursday, a Target spokesperson said it is committed to supporting the LGBTQIA+ community during Pride Month, which is celebrated in June, and year-round.
The Minneapolis-based retailer will maintain a presence at local Pride events in Minneapolis and across the country and will offer a collection of Pride month products, “gathered based on guest insights and consumer research,” in select stores and online, the spokesperson added. .