Target’s Transgender Bathrooms Are Causing A Major Problem

A boycott against restrooms at Target is leading to major shopping traffic decline, something that has happened in years.

It was just this past April that Target announced it would begin welcoming transgender customers by allowing them to use any bathroom or fitting room that matched their gender identity.

The backlash was almost immediate with critics saying the policy opened the door for sexual predators to victimize women and children inside the retailer’s bathrooms.

A pledge was signed by more than 1.4 million people who said they would stop shopping at Target unless it reversed the policy. Target refused.

According to Fortune, Target’s new bathrooms, which already exist in a majority of Target stores, are costing Target $20 million to install.

The retailer revealed its traffic declines last week when it reported second-quarter earnings.

Same-store transactions, which is how traffic is measured, fell 2.2% in the second quarter. Overall, sales fell 7.2% to $16.2 billion.

Cathy Smith, the company’s chief financial officer, added: “Traffic performance showed a meaningful change from prior trend. I want to pause and make it clear that we are not satisfied with our second-quarter traffic and sales performance.”

Disclaimer: We have no position in Target Corporation (NASDAQ: TGT) and have not been compensated for this article.