Ask Lola: Where Do I Shop Instead of Target?

Question: Where do I shop instead of Target?

Answer: This sounds like such an easy question, but if you're Black or Brown it's a bit more complicated.

Let's start with some history. Shopping, in general, is a complicated experience for Black and Brown folks. We all have stories of being followed by security in stores. And it's only been a couple of decades since we could count on being hired to work in retail stores, even groceries. Many of us grew up in food deserts.

Today, in 2025, east of I-5, bounded by I-90 to the north and Renton to the south, there are three Safeways and one PCC. That's it. There are lots of mom-and-pop stores to serve the needs of specific communities, and seasonal farmers' markets, but no large grocery stores. A 10-mile stretch with four grocery stores.

In West Seattle, there are no chain grocery stores east of 35th Avenue Southwest until you reach the QFC and Target in Westwood Village, only a few blocks from White Center. On the west side of 35th Avenue Southwest, though, there are two Safeways, a QFC, a PCC, a Metropolitan Market and Thriftway (owned by the same company), a Trader Joes, and a Whole Foods. Most of those were there even before the increased population from the tech boom started in 2012.

What's this got to do with Target? After all, it's more than a grocer. Yes. Yes, it is.

Target started out in 1962 in Roseville, Minnesota, as Dayton's family-owned grocery. It has quite a storied history. In 1971, it opened its first wheelchair-accessible store and adopted a policy to hire people with disabilities, expanding its commitment by adding people with disabilities in its advertising in 1990. In 1974, it named Lil Graham its first woman vice president, one of the first in the industry to do so. In 1975, Chinese American Shirley Young became the first Person of Color to join its board of directors. In 1990, Target added sexual orientation as a protected class in its equal opportunity policies and two years later added an LGBT affinity group for its employees. In 1992, their headquarters held their first Black History Month celebration.

And, in 1997 (this is the big one), Target launched its Minority Supplier Diversity Program and added dozens of Black- and Brown-owned product lines. Black and Brown folks have suffered promised inclusion in society since the latest Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. We have watched one corporation after another give lip service to diversity, in all its guises. One diversity charlatan after another made bank by selling meaningless, performative, unaccountable, and ineffective programs to corporations who would then declare they were "doing the work." We all knew who they were. But Target … Target was different, we thought.

For decades, Target has wooed marginalized communities, and we have responded with our dollars. When snobby America looked down their nose at Target, Black folks rebranded it with the colloquial moniker Targét ("TAR-jheh). This was OUR store. When it actively began pursuing products by Black and Brown entrepreneurs, we knew the relationship was serious. The ring was shiny and bright. "I do," was on the tip of our tongues.

Then, the current federal administration and their minions demanded the dissolution of all Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs. In less than a heartbeat, Targét became Target once again, abandoning over 50 years of precedence. 

And we were triggered. Are triggered.

We remembered. When Ms. Anne calls, Mass'r John replies.

No matter how many successes we have birthed together. No matter how much that promise ring glistened. We were still there to meet their needs; still a blithely discardable commodity. All those sweet words had only one purpose, and it had nothing to do with our needs and wants.

Now Target's CEO is on a "baby, baby, you know I didn't mean it" tour, trying to win us back. It's not happening. The betrayal is too deep.

So, where do we go instead? Where do we get unique beauty products found only at Target? Where do we get brands that reflect our visual aesthetics? Where do we go to still support those unique brands?

First, turn to our local businesses. Ask your hairdresser or barber about products they may carry or be able to order for you. Buy from local artists and jewelers. Support local bakers, butchers, and farmers' markets when possible.

Many of the brands Target carries have their own websites, so shop directly from them. If you have friends, family, or colleagues who use those same products, step outside the box, reach out to them and create a combined order to save on shipping costs.

Take it a step further. The Kroger grocery chain has refused to eliminate their DEI programs. This includes Fred Meyer, QFC, and Ralph's grocery stores. Like Target, Fred Meyer is a full-service store carrying electronics, health and beauty products, craft supplies, and much more than groceries. Shop there.

If they don't carry your products, call your local Kroger-affiliated store and ask them to expand their product lines. Make it a campaign with others you know who may be interested in the same products or brands. Remind your local store that all those people boycotting Target need somewhere to shop. It's an opportunity, and they should be rewarded for their support.

Want to go one step further? Contact Kroger's media relations people. Let them know you appreciate their stance and would like to shop at their stores. If you already do, let them know you'd like to expand your purchases to products you used to get at Target, and name those brands. 

And don't forget local retailer Costco, who also refused to cut back its decades-long commitment to a diversified workforce and brand selection. My $60 membership more than pays for itself in the gas savings for my car, plus they provide discounted eyeglasses and optometry services and some things Target never had. Create a buying group with family, friends, or neighbors. Make it an opportunity to build community. Do it intelligently, with clear expectations and boundaries, but give it a go!

In this time of chaos it's easy to feel helpless. The antidote is finding a place where you have agency and putting your energy there. This is one of those opportunities.

And while you're working on taking care of your needs, ask Seattle's mayor and City Council why one of the richest cities in the country has food deserts.

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