- Oct 26
- 3 min read
Updated: Oct 27
For the naysayers who said that Target
“didn’t even know I was boycotting them…” well, now they do.
A guest article by member Barbara A.
Not quite two years ago, my optometrist told me that they would no longer be filling patient orders for contact lenses through their office. She referred me to the nearby Target Optical; I took my printed prescription and off I went to order new contacts. The location was convenient; the customer service was adequate for what I needed: a simple prescription refill. I had found my new contact lens provider.
Or so I thought.
Then January 2025, rolled around, and with it, the rollback of Target’s policies regarding Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. My own personal boycott of Target began.
A few people poo-pooed my decision to take my business elsewhere:
“You’re just one person.”
“They don’t even know you’re boycotting them.”
“What difference will your boycott really make?”
I didn’t know what difference it would make. None, maybe. But it made me feel better, like I was doing something, even in a small way.
I began my search for a new eyewear provider. A friend recommended that I check out Warby Parker, a company who continues to proudly stand behind its DEI policies. Their two social initiatives, Buy a Pair, Give a Pair, and Pupils Project, send eyeglasses to those in need. In addition to the information about the company that I found online, my emails to customer service were promptly answered by representatives whose signatures were followed by their identifying pronouns. I had found a company with which my values aligned.
And, although I started my personal boycott before I knew this, I had never, ever been (as some people had initially implied) alone in my decision to boycott Target. I was only one of the hundreds of thousands who have abandoned Target, and other companies who have retracted their DEI support (Walmart, Amazon); we who have opted, instead, to “vote with our wallets” by spending our dollars at businesses who continue strong in their commitment to DEI.
We know now that the boycott has made a difference, as evidenced by the plummeting of Target’s stock and the company’s scramble to regain customers.
🔥 A couple of weeks ago, I received a “we miss you” letter from my local Target Optical, with coupons enclosed. I almost threw the letter away. Instead, I took a note card and composed a message in which I stated that I have been boycotting Target due to their DEI stance and had chosen another eyewear provider with a commitment to those principles. I asked them to please remove me from their mailing list.
I placed my note, their letter, and the coupons in another envelope and mailed it back to the department from whence it came.
For the naysayers who said that Target “didn’t even know I was boycotting them…” well, now they do.
Resources:
A Deep Dive of Warby Parkers Equity, Strategy, and Inclusion Plan – Noirefy and Warby Parker Puts a Sharp Focus on Inclusivity and Diversity with Its Recruitment Strategy
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