Target Pushes Ahead With Woke Holiday Merch Despite Financial Losses

Target's second quarter earnings report proved the company still hasn't rebounded from its Pride fallout this summer, showing a 5.4% decrease in sales -- the first drop in roughly six years. The company's third quarter report was no better, revealing an additional 4.9% drop. 

Thanks to Target's partnership with a satanist designer and its highly controversial Pride line -- which pushed transgender extremism on an audience largely of children -- the backlash continues to hurt the stores' bottom line. 

Brian Cornell, Target's CEO, reflected on the reports and admitted sales "have clearly been tougher than we expected this year, and we are firmly focused on getting back to growth." While Cornell confessed the company has struggled, one would expect the mega-retailer to learn from its mistakes, readjust to what their clientele wants, and get back to selling products, not politics.

Well, Target clearly hasn't learned their lesson. Rather than pivoting after the backlash, the boycotts, and plummeting sales, they have decided to continue swimming upstream. To most people's surprise, Target has leaned into the very agenda that caused their demise, hiring a "Senior LGBTQIA+ Segmentation Strategist and Pride Lead," whose very job is to woke-ify the aisles. 

With summer behind us, tucking swimsuits are clearly out of season. So, naturally, with Christmas around the corner, Pride ornaments are next on the agenda! Never mind the fact that this strategy completely failed in June. So much for Cornell saying he is "firmly focused on getting back to growth."

Target's holiday collection features several pride-themed nutcracker decorations. The "Pride Christmas Nutcracker Figure" includes white and black nutcrackers with purple beards wearing rainbow hats and holding a BIPOC-transgender pride flag. The year 2023 is embossed on the base. 

The "Kurt Adler 10-Inch Pride Nutcracker," which retails for $42.50, is a figurine wearing pride colors and a sequined Santa hat; the nutcracker holds a heart that says "Love is Love." The "Kurt Adler 12-Inch Wooden Gay Pride Nutcracker," which retails for $47.50, is a nutcracker in a sequin jacket with blue and holding a rainbow flag. The "Kurt Adler 15-Inch Wooden Gay Pride Nutcracker," which retails for $63.00, is a nutcracker in a purple jacket and rainbow pants. It holds a staff with a heart that says "Love is Love."

Target is selling the "Kurt Adler 10-Inch Fabriché Pride Santa" for $80.00, a Santa figurine wearing overalls with rainbow suspenders and a white shirt that says "Love is Love." He is holding a pride flag.

The pride-themed ornaments for sale at Target include a snowflake in rainbow colors with the year "2023" in the center, a rainbow-colored speech-bubble shape that says "Love is Love" with two hands forming a heart symbol, an open mouth in rainbow colors, a rainbow heart that says "Love is Love,"and drinking glasses in rainbow-flag hues. 

"Whether you're an ally, a member of the LGBTQ+ community, or simply someone who believes in love and equality for all, this ornament is the perfect way to showcase your support during the festive season," reads the description of Target's "Love is Love" speech-bubble ornament. 

"With its vibrant colors and eye-catching design, this 'Love is Love' holiday ornament is sure to make a statement on your tree or as a gift to a loved one. Celebrate the season with love and pride, and show the world that love truly knows no bounds."

The pride-themed wrapping paper for sale at Target includes one design showing rainbow candy-canes arranged in a heart-shape, and another with white snowflakes on a rainbow background. 

"Unwrap the joy of being yourself with our [gift wrap]," reads a product description. "This wrap is made using paper that allows you to cover variety of gifts. Infused with LGBTQIA+ pride, its rainbow hues are perfect for celebrations, be it Christmas or thoughtful gifting."

Like a blast from the past, these items were met with immediate mockery. "Wow. Just wow," Brian Frye posted on X. "You would think they would have learned from the last time. When will companies finally start to realize it? Go woke ... go broke!"

But before Target gets all the heat, it's only fair to highlight the other companies who've tried the same extremism and failed. Ever since Bud Light partnered with transgender-identifying Dylan Mulvaney, Anheuser-Busch's revenue is down 13.5% according to a report from earlier this month. 

According to The Post Millennial, "Bud Light lost some $390 million in the marketing disaster, and $6 billion in lost value." And recent reports revealed the beer company, after saying otherwise, did, in fact, pay Mulvaney $185,000 for the campaign -- only for it to destroy their brand and drive consumers away.

However, where Target and Bud Light differ is that Benoit Garbe, the U.S. chief marketing officer for Anheuser-Busch, has decided to step down at the end of the year. Unlike Target's high-ranking officials, Garbe seemed to know when to quit. But with new leadership in place, the question remains: did they learn from the past? I suppose only time will tell.

In the meantime, there are alternative stores to shop from for everything from ornaments to beer, many of which have conservative and/or Christian values.

Meg Kilgannon, senior fellow for Education Studies at Family Research Council, said it's especially important we avoid shopping at places like Target during Christmas. She commented to The Washington Stand, "Target selling sexually themed Christmas ornaments is more evidence that we live in a post-Christian society. The virgin birth of the Savior of the world in a stable in Bethlehem is what we celebrate. The goodness, truth, and beauty of that reality is not improved or enhanced by woke merchandising campaigns."

"If Americans (and especially people of faith) have some money left to spend at Christmas this year," Kilgannon urged, "I hope they don't spend it at Target."

Originally published at The Washington Stand - reposted with permission.