After being elected to office, one of President Donald Trump’s first executive decisions was the immediate discontinuation of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion policies within the federal space. Additionally, he ordered federal agents to investigate the DEI policies in place at all major companies. Naturally, this sparked great outrage within all communities that were not aligned with the political right wing — and rightfully so.
Walmart, one of the top big box retailers in the country, was amongst the first of companies who gave in to pressure from the conservative think tank and made the decision to axe all DEI related policies and practices within the company. Now Walmart, along with some of its peers like Target and Amazon, are facing boycotts from customers who feel betrayed — not to mention the pushback from shareholders who also feel rightfully insulted by this decision.
Walmart sales have reportedly seen a decline recently but is the retailer making any attempts to aid this issue?
Latino people are boycotting Walmart
Trump’s mass deportations and latest anti-immigration policies have compelled Latin people to impose boycotts on various companies and brands who are not taking a stand against these policies. Walmart and Coca-Cola, two industry giants, have been “cancelled” for not only allegedly supporting these policies, but for also contributing millions of dollars towards Trump’s presidential campaign.
Despite claiming to be in solidarity with its Latino customers, the grocery chain is facing accusations of betraying its client base through its support of Trump’s harsh measures against immigrants. Additionally, the retailer appears to have removed merchandize of Latin origin from its shelves, with customers noticing a decline in Mexican food products in particular.
Social media is abuzz with photographs and videos from various branches across the country that show a lack of inventory for items like tortillas, sauces, chili peppers, and other food deemed “Hispanic”.
The Latino community has mobilized to promote a boycott of the company that they are calling the “Freeze Latino Movement” and all Hispanic people are urged to revoke any support of Walmart by not shopping there.
Will the retailer manage to save its reputation and bottom line?
Recent reports have shown a a great decrease in sales for the retailer in recent weeks. The boycott from Latino people is having a definite impact on the company’s bottom line since they are no longer going to the store to make purchases. Furthermore, there is now an increased fear of deportation since Trump has ordered more immigration raids in order to fulfil his aim of deporting at least 11 million illegal immigrants.
Social media platforms like TikTok and X are full of videos showing the aisles of Walmart stores being decorated with flags of different countries from across the globe. A particular concentration on flags from Latin American countries was noted and it is migrants from these very countries that are referred to as “criminal” or “irregular” by the Trump administration.
This is, of course, the company’s attempt at an apology with the hopes of bringing back the customers it has lost during recent weeks. Several branches across the United States also have new signs placed on the building facades that read “We love our customers,” as seen from posts on social media.
The statement on these signs are neutral at best and one has to wonder if the company would even be making these half-baked attempts if sales were not plummeting.
According to posts seen on TikTok, there are claims that the CEO of Walmart, Doug McMillon, has made an apology to the Latino community after choosing to endorse Trump’s immigration policies. Word of this alleged apology came about around the same time as when the retailer began putting up flags in its stores.
However, this apology from the CEO is not authentic, nor does it come from any official channel. At present, Walmart has not made any official statements on the matter.