NPR.

This is the indicator from Planet Money.

I'm Waylon Wong, joined today by producer extraordinaire, Julia Ritchie.

Hello, hello.

Waylon, like me, I know you love a weekend trip to a big box store.

Sample Saturdays, absolutely. But one big box retailer has been having a rough go of it lately, Target.

The chain has been the subject of a boycott over its decision to roll back diversity, equity, and inclusion policies.

You know, DEI. It's been in the news a lot recently, Whaling.

Mm-hmm. It is an about face for a chain that had enthusiastically promoted racial equity causes just a few years ago.

Well, Atlanta pastor, Jamal Bryant, organized a 40-day boycott against the store beginning in March to coincide with Lent.

And after meeting with Target's CEO earlier this month, he shared this update with his congregation on Easter.

Their currency does not ride with us if in all of these years we have been loyal customers and clients,

and then in the moment of dis-ease, you turn your back.

I told them, what I'm getting ready to tell you, we ain't going back in there.

The early data indicates that this boycott has taken a toll.

Foot traffic at the retailer has been down for 11 consecutive weeks.

Target's share price is down about 19 percent, and its CEO says sales are down.

Political boycotts are nothing new, but they are getting more attention. So we wanted to know

when does a boycott actually make a difference. Today on the show, we talked to a researcher about how to measure the impact of a brand boycott

and how one company is caught in the crosshairs.

In January, President Trump signed two executive orders calling for the termination of diversity,

equity, and inclusion offices, positions, and programs in the government.

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