Home Depot makes swift move to avoid major boycotts
The home improvement retailer is trying to avoid a fate other retailers have suffered.
These days, performing in the retail space can feel like an uphill battle.
On the one hand, it might feel like no matter what you do, customers are never impressed.
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After all, it is hard to compete with some of the largest retailers, like Amazon, Walmart, and Target.
These retailers all have robust online operations; most offer same- or next-day shipping for free, plus lightning-fast and easy returns.
Sometimes, they won't even make you ship your item back in order to process a return. And they tend to have nearly every item you might be looking for in stock and ready to appear at your doorstep tomorrow.
Which means it's become excessively hard for any other retailer to differentiate itself from its largest competitors. No matter what they do, it will always be compared to the big three.
On the other hand, one mishandled move seems to get noticed right away. Image source: Shutterstock
Customers grow frustrated with DEI
Back in the early 2020s, when Covid swept the nation and most of America was at home reading or watching the news, many people became increasingly more interested in social justice.
Widespread protests for racial equity, government action mandating reviews in the workforce, and outspoken public figures promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) swept through the U.S.
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It wasn't long until corporate America followed suit.
Many of the largest companies, including everyone from Target, Tractor Supply, Walmart, and Anheuser Busch, released their own flavor of DEI initiatives. Many began as well-intended programs, but American consumers soon became cynical about the initiatives.
Both Target and Bud Light were the subjects of major boycotts after their DEI promotions were seen as going a bridge too far.
Home Depot quietly makes a DEI change
And while Home Depot was never the subject of a major boycott, the home-improvement retailer did at one point have a portion of its website dedicated to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
As recently as March 2024, Home Depot had a page about DEI.
"We strive to ensure that our company culture maintains a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment so that we can attract and retain the best employees, amplify their unique experiences and ideas, and strengthen the communities where we operate," the page read.
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Now, however, the page has been replaced with one that simply reads "WeAreTHD" and includes no references to diversity, equity, or inclusion.
"Our culture and our associates provide intangible and hard-to-replicate competitive advantages, which have been key to helping us navigate challenging market conditions," the new page reads, adding, "This includes investing in competitive wages and benefits while also providing the culture, tools, training, and development opportunities that make working at The Home Depot an enjoyable and rewarding experience."
"These actions are the foundation of our core values of taking care of our people, entrepreneurial spirit, building strong relationships, and respect for all people," it continues.
