Target has been lauded for its designer collabs for more than a quarter century, beginning with Michael Graves in 1999 and including such luminaries as Phillipe Starck, Isaac Mizrahi, and Marimekko.

But the retailer’s latest partnership, which launched on April 12 with Kate Spade New York, is being met with resistance by some on social media. Much of the criticism is being directed at Target for caving on its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies, with users urging one another to be steadfast in boycotting Target by resisting the colorful handbags, clothing, home accessories and more in the collection of 300-plus pieces. (Kate Spade’s parent company, Tapestry, has not abandoned its DEI program.)

“Friendly reminder that we are still 100% boycotting Target,” Megan Farina said in an April 8 TikTok that had more than 2.2 million views when this story was published. “You get rid of DEI, you think we’re gonna come back for Kate Spade?...No, but remember, stand strong. You don’t need the bag.”

“This collab between Kate Spade and Target is all over my feed,” said Leslie Gaar in her April 4 TikTok, before alluding to the fact that Target and other companies acquiesced to the Trump administration’s demand for private companies to dismantle DEI. “And I just keep thinking, there is no better summer accessory than solidarity against authoritarianism. Just goes with everything.”

Keep reading here.—AAN

This one goes to 11.

Target suffered its 11th week of foot-traffic declines, a slump that began the week after the retailer announced it was rolling back its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) program in January.

For the week that began April 7, foot traffic at Target stores dropped 4.7% YoY, according to Placer.ai. Costco, which unlike Target defied calls from the Trump administration for private companies to abandon their DEI efforts, notched its 16th straight week of foot traffic increases.

Target, which in recent years had championed racial justice and social justice, has seen an outsized amount of backlash after scrapping DEI, being pilloried on its social media feeds and the subject of a 40-plus day boycott spearheaded by Black clergy that ended on Easter. Indeed, for that same second week in April, fellow DEI capitulators Walmart and McDonald's both saw foot-traffic increases, up 2.7% and 4.5% respectively.

Keep reading here.—AAN

Soon, the most Mexican thing about Chipotle Mexican Grill won’t be its name: In its latest push for international growth, America’s favorite fast-casual burrito chain is planning to open its first location in Mexico by early 2026, the company announced yesterday.

More Latin American locations could follow, Chipotle suggested. The company signed a development deal with Alsea, which also operates locations in Latin America and Europe for chains including Starbucks, Domino’s, and Burger King.

Good luck, Chipotle. Yum Brands tried and failed twice to launch Taco Bell in Mexico, which the late Mexican writer Carlos Monsivais told the Associated Press was “like bringing ice to the Arctic.”

Keep reading here.—ML