Target’s CEO has defended the company’s controversial ‘tuck friendly’ swimwear line for children, insisting the woke product rollout will be a success.
The company sparked backlash after rolling out a new line for Pride month in June, which includes a label which advertises the ‘tuck-friendly construction’ and ‘extra crotch’ coverage. The design is made to help conceal a person’s private parts.
But despite facing sharp criticism for the release, CEO Brian Cornell told Fortune’s Leadership Next podcast he approved of the release.
‘When we think about purpose at Target, it’s really about helping all the families, and that ‘all’ word is really important,’ he said.
‘Most of America shops at Target, so we want to do the right thing to support families across the country.’
The ‘tuck-friendly’ swimsuit is sold online for $40 in the adults section. Target has been asked to clarify claims the item is also available for children
The Pride collection also includes items for babies and children. Many of the pieces are emblazoned with slogans and feature the rainbow colors of the Pride flag
CEO Brian Cornell defended the controversial marketing campaign
Cornell’s remarks came as he was pressed on criticisms the company faced in the aftermath of its rollout.
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‘I think those are just good business decisions, and it’s the right thing for society, and it’s the great thing for our brand,’ Cornell said.
‘The things we’ve done from a DE&I [diversity, equity, and inclusion] standpoint, it’s adding value.
‘It’s helping us drive sales, it’s building greater engagement with both our teams and our guests, and those are just the right things for our business today.’
His comments come as some southern Target stores have been forced by the corporation to move its LGBTQ merchandise from view as customers hit out at the brand.
Some have accused Target of ‘indoctrinating and grooming’ and others have said it ‘deserves the Bud Light treatment’ – a reference to the boycott of the beer after it partnered with trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney.
It also comes amid criticism of Adidas for its decision to use biological males to model its women’s swimwear.
The sportswear giant has faced calls for a boycott after it used the male models to advertise its female product line for their Pride 2023 collection.
Both models, who are described as ‘they’ online, have hairy chests, visible bulges and their description says they are 6ft 2in with a 34′ chest and 27′ waist. Additionally, one of the biological male models posed in a sports bra.
Sportswear giant Adidas used two biologically male models, who have a clear bulge in their crotch and chest hair
