Following in Target's footsteps, department store Kohl's launched its LGBT-themed clothing collection for babies and children.
Denounced by the Twitter account End Wokeness, among the repertoire of pieces available in physical stores is a bodysuit where you can see a woman with a flag of the LGBT community and even a dog with a trans flag.
Looks like Kohl’s didn’t learn a thing from Bud Lite and Target pic.twitter.com/qRzlmepW4B
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) May 28, 2023
The online LGBT section features a variety of pieces available for babies with phrases such as Happy Pride and Proud of my Family.
"Celebrate the joy of living authentically and without complexes during Pride month and all year long," notes the product description on their website.
Users began to show their displeasure with the collection, claiming that the messages on the clothes were "not appropriate for children".
Kohl's is not learning from Target
Kohl's seems to be following in Target's footsteps without considering the consequences. The retail chain lost more than $9 billion in stock market value due to the launch of its Pride Month collection for kids just over a week ago.
Criticism rained down on the company - among other things - for including in the LGBT section women's swimsuits that have "extra crotch space" and help hide male private parts.
"Target" trended on Twitter and users began calling for a boycott.
Did you know @Target also sells “tuck-friendly” bathing suits for children in the Pride section? Well now you do.#BoycottTarget #GaysAgainstGroomers pic.twitter.com/ohK7X3D4N3
— Gays Against Groomers (@againstgrmrs) May 20, 2023
Realizing the extent of the backlash, the company stated that it had decided to remove some items of its LGBT merchandise from its stores. However, the retailer's shares fell by more than 12% in the stock market following the controversy.
Before the messages in its LGBT collection went viral, Target was trading at $160.96 per share. After the scandal they reached their lowest point at$138.93.
"Given these volatile circumstances, we are making adjustments to our plans, including eliminating items that have been at the center of the most significant confrontational behaviors," the retailer said in a statement.
Kohl's currently trades each share at $20.03 each.
