Costco’s consumer base is on the rise.
According to Retail Brew, the retailer has continued seeing an increase in its foot traffic, having reached its 13th consecutive week during the week of March 17. Costco’s influx of customers is in part due to its decision to uphold diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). It sparked a “buy in” led by Civil Rights activist Rev. Al Sharpton in January 2025 at Costco Wholesale, 1055 Hudson St., in Union, NJ.
“We are planning to release a boycott list in the coming days,” Sharpton told TMZ at the time. “But in the interim, we are going to do a ‘buy-cott,’ which means we are going to support those who support diversity.”
As AFROTECH™ previously told you, Costco’s board of directors requested for its shareholders to vote against a proposal from the National Center for Public Policy Research (NCPPR) that would dismantle its DEI programs.
“Our success at Costco Wholesale has been built on service to our critical stakeholders: employees, members, and suppliers. Our efforts around diversity, equity and inclusion follow our code of ethics: For our employees, these efforts are built around inclusion — having all of our employees feel valued and respected,” the board wrote in a message, according to Fox Business. “Our efforts at diversity, equity and inclusion remind and reinforce with everyone at our Company the importance of creating opportunities for all. We believe that these efforts enhance our capacity to attract and retain employees who will help our business succeed. This capacity is critical because we owe our success to our now over 300,000 employees around the globe.”
Nearly all of Costco’s shareholders (more than 98%) voted against the proposal in an annual meeting held on Thursday, Jan. 23, according to Axios. Their decision reflects the growing divide among industries, as companies take opposing stances on DEI, some fueled by political pressure from conservative groups such as the NCPPR or individuals such as social media activist Robby Starbuck. The Trump administration has also signaled its stance through multiple executive orders signed by Donald Trump after he took office on Jan. 20, aiming to eliminate all DEI initiatives, programs, and roles at the federal level.
Several companies, including Walmart, Amazon, Google, Meta, and Target, have rolled back their DEI policies. Target, in particular, has experienced an eight-week decline in foot traffic as of the week of March 17. Additionally, a 40-day consumer boycott against Target, led by Rev. Jamal Bryant with 150,000 sign-ups, is set to conclude on April 17, as AFROTECH™ mentioned.
“We’re asking people to divest from Target because they have turned their back on our community,” Bryant told to CNN.
