US retailer cuts diversity jobs and climate pledges after activist campaign

Tractor Supply, the US farming retailer, has announced plans to eliminate all its diversity roles and walk back its climate commitments following a weeks-long social media campaign by conservative influencers.

“We have heard from our customers that we have disappointed them,” the Tennessee-based company said in a statement on Thursday afternoon. The campaign had knocked 5 per cent off the Nasdaq-listed group’s share price in the past month.

The retailer, which has a market value of almost $30bn and focuses on rural regions of the US, said it would “retire” its current diversity and inclusion goals “while still ensuring a respectful environment”.

The statement comes as US companies face sustained political pressure over so-called wokeness.

Several have scaled back Pride month displays signalling their support for the LGBT+ community after a backlash last year against companies including Target, Disney and Anheuser-Busch InBev. Large employers, including law firms and consultancies such as PwC, have changed their recruitment or dropped public diversity goals after pressure from rightwing activists.

Tractor Supply said in the future it would “ensure our activities and giving tie directly to our business”, and stop sponsoring Pride festivals and voting campaigns. It added that it planned to refocus on “animal welfare, veteran causes, and being a good neighbour”.

Robby Starbuck, a film director who in 2022 tried to run as a Republican candidate for a congressional district in Tennessee, led the campaign on the social media site X, focusing on pro-diversity comments made by Tractor Supply executives, including chief executive Hal Lawton.

Starbuck, who began the campaign in early June, noted that Tractor Supply was a beloved brand among conservative Americans but attacked the company for providing diversity training for employees and funding Pride events, as well as “climate change activism”.

He also targeted large investors in Tractor Supply, posting on Tuesday: “Companies need to learn that BlackRock, State Street and Vanguard don’t shop at their stores . . . We do. The forced woke values by these entities must end. The American consumer must be king again.”

Tractor Supply Co did not respond to request for further comment.

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