Target’s been going through it lately. Between controversy over its recent corporate decisions, frustrated shoppers, and a shaky economy, the brand’s once-loyal customer base seems less forgiving.
Now, that tension is showing up in the aisles. Literally.
One TikTok user shared a look inside a Massachusetts Target store that felt like a tornado had passed through it.
"What happened to public decorum?"
In a recent video that’s been viewed over 27,800 times, TikTok creator Kay (@theurbanpony09) walks through the clothing section of her local Target, filming the chaos around her.
“Like, look at this Target,” she says, turning the camera across racks of mangled clothes.
The place is a mess. Clothes are scattered all over the floor, some still clinging to hangers, others crumpled and forgotten. Racks are overcrowded, with tangled displays making it hard to even see what’s being sold.
“What the [expletive] is going on?” Kay asks. “Why is it in such disarray? What happened to public decorum?”
@theurbanpony09 Customers have no respect #fyp #target #messy #shopping #sad
♬ original sound - kat
Is this related to the fallout from Target’s recent DEI rollback?
The video struck a nerve. And it comes at a time when Target’s dealing with plenty of public backlash.
Earlier this year, the company announced it would pull back from several of its long-standing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts.
That included walking away from a multi-year DEI commitment, opting out of the Human Rights Campaign’s annual corporate equality survey, and quietly shelving its internal three-year DEI goals.
Many former supporters weren’t happy. Calls for boycotts followed, and foot traffic at stores has taken a hit. According to recent data, Target saw a 4.8% drop in store visits per location during Q1 2025 compared to the same time last year.
While online shopping seems to be holding up—digital sales rose 4.7% year-over-year—in-store sales dropped 3.8%. There have also been widespread social media reports of employee layoffs and hour reductions, though those claims haven’t been confirmed across the board.
The comments blame both shoppers and working conditions
In the comment section, people had strong opinions, and most pointed the finger squarely at either inconsiderate shoppers or overwhelmed staff.
“Shoppers have a ‘it’s not my job’ mentality,” one person said.
Another wrote, “The employees are TIRED and UNDERPAID.”
Someone else added, “Imagine if retail workers weren’t a thing… how incompetent are humans that they can’t put back items they don’t buy? It’s a simple concept.”
“What happened??? Overworked and underpaid employees, hour cuts, and ‘guests’ who lack common decency is what happened,” a fourth noted.
Others shared personal stories.
“As someone who used to work in the clothing department at Target,” one user wrote, “I’ve had a guest drop clothes on the floor right in front of me—and then her mom told her to pick it up. She said, ‘No, that’s her job.’ This was a grown adult.”
And another person echoed Kay’s original frustration: “‘Like look at this Target, what happened to public decorum’—babes, they are so underpaid, overworked, and TIRED.”
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