Walmart, the world’s largest retailer, is scaling back its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies, according to The Associated Press.
The retailer confirmed that it would not renew a five-year commitment for a racial equity center created after the death of George Floyd in 2020, it would withdraw from a gay rights index from the LGBTQ advocacy group the Human Rights Campaign measuring workplace “inclusion” and it would begin tracking third-party retailers to the cease sale of transgender items for minors, according to the AP. Walmart will also stop giving priority treatment to suppliers based on DEI factors such as race or gender, the AP reported.
Walmart said it will be monitoring its third-party marketplace items more closely to ensure they do not feature sexual and transgender products marketed toward minors, including chest binders intended for youth, according to the AP.
“Our purpose, to help people save money and live better, has been at our core since our founding 62 years ago and continues to guide us today,” Walmart said in a statement shared with the Daily Caller News Foundation. “We can deliver on it because we are willing to change alongside our associates and customers who represent all of America. 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.”
Various corporations have been quietly backpedaling their DEI practices amid intense public and legal pressure from consumers and shareholders. President-elect Donald Trump has criticized DEI practices and promised to uproot “woke” ideology. Dozens of investment advisors sent letters on Nov. 15 warning several of America’s largest corporations that their diversity programs will become a liability when Trump returns to the White House.
Several companies have faced backlash from supporting DEI and LGBTQ initiatives, including Target, which reported in August 2023 that it was lowering its sales and profit expectations for the rest of the year, after it faced criticism over the release of LGBTQ products for children. Target announced in May that it would only sell its LGBTQ “Pride” collection online and at select stores after boycotts cost the retailer nearly $13 billion in market value the summer prior, according to Bloomberg. The retailer’s stock prices also dropped in 2016 amid boycotts after it introduced a policy allowing customers to choose the dressing room or restroom that aligned with their gender identity.
Bud Light’s pours reportedly declined in thousands of bars and restaurants across the U.S. after the brand partnered with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney in 2023. The company lost $1.4 billion in U.S. beer sales in 2023 due to boycotts over the marketing decision, according to Forbes.
Other major companies have also recently backtracked DEI-related policies, including Lowe’s, Ford and Stanley Black & Decker. Major aviation manufacturer Boeing also scrapped its entire DEI division in October.
“This is the biggest win yet for our movement to end wokeness in corporate America,” conservative activist Robby Starbuck wrote in a post to X.
Walmart employed approximately 2.1 million people worldwide and approximately 1.6 million in the U.S. as of the end of the fiscal year 2024, according to their website.
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