Target has removed a childrenâs Halloween costume and apologized after critics accused the design of evoking blackface and 19th-century minstrel shows.
According to FOX Business, the costume, listed as the âKidsâ Glows Under Blacklight Circus Clown Halloween Costume,â was sold through Targetâs seasonal Hyde and EEK Boutique brand.
The online listing has since been removed.
Target acknowledged the backlash and said the costume should never have been offered for sale.
âAs a company, we know we got this wrong, and we are deeply sorry.
The costume is offensive and should never have been part of our assortment. It is no longer available for sale,â company spokesperson Brian Harper-Tibaldo said in a statement to FOX Business.
The company also addressed the impact on Black customers, employees and business partners.
âWe know this is especially hurtful for our Black guests, team members and partners,â Harper-Tibaldo said. âRemoving the costume is an important first step, and the company is looking closely at how this happened and what needs to change to ensure this wonât happen again.â
The decision followed criticism on social media, where users accused the Minneapolis-based retailer of selling merchandise with racist imagery.
âYou really donât have anyone left in Minneapolis to say, âHey, thatâs racistâ? Yâall cut DEI and now youâve got a minstrel clown costume for kids on your website,â one Threads user wrote.
The controversy comes as Target continues to face criticism over several high-profile corporate decisions in recent years.
The retailer faced widespread backlash over its 2023 Pride Collection and later scaled back some of its diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
Target was among several major companies that reduced DEI programs after President Donald Trump returned to the White House and issued executive orders targeting such initiatives.
Target said the changes included scaling back efforts to increase representation among Black employees and to support Black-owned businesses and suppliers.
The company previously said it needed to adjust its approach to match âthe evolving external landscape.â
Those changes drew criticism from some Black consumers and business owners who had supported Targetâs diversity initiatives.
The latest controversy puts another spotlight on the retailerâs merchandise review process.
Target said it is examining how the Halloween costume made it into its assortment and what changes may be needed to prevent a similar situation from happening again.