Target hits 2-year low; some point to bathrooms

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — Target, the 1,800-strong chain store, saw a two-year low in its 2016 fourth-quarter earnings, which some say was caused in part by heavy boycotting over its transgender bathroom policy implemented in April 2016.

Brian Cornell, Target chairman and CEO, told The Christian Post there was “unexpected softness in our stores,” and shares sunk 12.1 percent in one day on Wall Street, according to Reuters.

Conservative organizations like 2ndVote campaigned throughout 2016 that families stop shopping at Target because of its new bathroom policy. The organization argued that allowing shoppers to choose which bathroom they use according to their gender identity left females “exposed to the dangers of sexual predators,” The Post reported.

2ndVote Executive Director Lance Wray accused Target of “pushing a radical agenda over common sense and safety,” noting that the conservative organization’s #AnywhereButTARGET campaign “sent a clear message” to Target.

Target has defended its policy by insisting that it is aimed at helping people feel comfortable, The Post reported.

To return to the pre-2016 earning levels, Target’s Cornell said the store is looking at “long-term, sustainable growth,” revealing that the retailer will invest in lower gross margins to become more competitively priced, The Post reported. (TAB)