02 Jun Is Walmart Less Woke than Target? 2023 Update

Is Walmart Just as Woke as Target?

Conservatives are boycotting the hell out of Target, and it’s easy to see why. Based on my research, with the possible exception of specialty retailers like Patagonia and REI, which may as well have offices inside the Democratic National Committee, Target is probably the wokest major retailer in America. But should you go out of your way to shop at Walmart instead? This is a question I face daily, as I drive by a Target at least 2-3 times a day, whereas going to Walmart instead is a 25-minute round trip detour from my house. The trip might be worth it if Walmart was considerably less woke but I think the difference is very subtle.

Take at look at the DEI pages for Target and Walmart. You’ll find all the same platitudes and virtue signaling there. All the same commitments to buy from diverse suppliers and so on. For example, Walmart boasts that it spent $13 billion from “diverse suppliers” in FY 2023. And it’s worth noting that they consider LGBT-owned businesses diverse suppliers, so it isn’t just racial minorities. Target has the same policy.

Walmart is rated the 26^th best company in America for diversity by Diversity Inc. while Target is just behind them in 27^th place. While Target has pulled some of its Pride merchandise and displays in some parts of the country, Walmart has said, weeks after the Target boycott started, it has no plans to pull any of the Pride merchandise it sells. So apparently they’re not too concerned about getting boycotted.

The Pride Mafia loves both Target and Walmart. The LGBT advocacy group the Human Rights Campaign gives them both a perfect 100 score in their corporate equality index. The New York Post and other news outlets have also reported that Walmart was pushing Critical Race Theory (CRT) in its employee training.

I know what you’re thinking, so where the hell am I supposed to buy random stuff? Target, Walmart and Amazon are all woke. I share your frustration. My conclusion is that Target has historically been more woke than Walmart but only in its in-store merchandising. Behind the scenes, Walmart has become as woke as Target. Now that Target is getting schooled in this boycott, perhaps the two will become essentially the same. We shall see.