THE Home Depot shoppers are furious after the company quietly reversed a key store policy.
The hardware store followed in the footsteps of other major retailers, such as Target and Walmart, and eliminated its signature policy.
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The company removed its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion policy from its website.
“We strive to ensure that our company culture maintains a diverse, equitable and inclusive environment so that we can attract and retain the best employees, amplify their unique experiences and ideas, and strengthen the communities where we operate,” the page with the heading Diversity, Equity & Inclusion on The Home Depot’s website once read.
“We believe this commitment has been a competitive advantage and key to our long-term success, which is why we continue to build a culture of understanding, acceptance, and appreciation.”
The page can only be seen using the Wayback Machine internet archive tool.
It was reportedly taken down around March 28, after it was first posted on July 22, 2022.
The page used to be accessed on the Responsibility tab of the company’s website.
Now, the company replaced that page with a Living Values dropdown, which is home to a page called WeAreTHD.
“Our culture and our associates provide intangible and hard-to-replicate competitive advantages, which have been key to helping us navigate challenging market conditions,” the WeAreTHD page begins.
The new page has similar links to the original one, but omits any mention of diversity, equity and inclusion.
“We’re proud to have a culture that welcomes everyone, and we believe it helps us achieve our business goals,” Sarah McDonald, a Home Depot spokesperson, told Retail Brew in a written statement.
“We’ve been using ‘WeAreTHD,’ which is a slogan that represents the welcoming culture we’ve built here.
“We remain committed to our core values and the needs of our business, empowering associates, driving innovation, and enriching our communities.”
The Home Depot did not immediately reply to The US Sun’s request for more information.
The change is speculated to be in response to President Trump’s demand that all businesses dismiss any DEI programs.
“We will terminate every diversity, equity, and inclusion program across the entire federal government,” President Trump said in pursuit of his mission to “restore fairness” to the workplace.
Retailers like Walmart and Target have also removed similar programs from their websites.
The Home Depot’s statement
“We’re proud to have a culture that welcomes everyone, and we believe it helps us achieve our business goals,” Sarah McDonald, a Home Depot spokesperson, told Retail Brew in a written statement.
“We’ve been using ‘WeAreTHD,’ which is a slogan that represents the welcoming culture we’ve built here.
“We remain committed to our core values and the needs of our business, empowering associates, driving innovation, and enriching our communities.”
“Historic times! I never would have expected Walmart to abandon DEI practices,” one social media user wrote about the company removing its policy.
The change has left some customers furious, with one demanding they will “boycott” the hardware store.
“Funny enough, those stores are all on my boycott list for enabling him, attacking DEI, and forcing so many of their workers to depend on food stamps,” one user wrote on X.
Another person replied, saying the businesses will get “no money from me or mine.”
