Target controversies

Company response

• Recall — Whole Foods Market

  Whole Foods Market recall (8/12)

• Recall — Taylor Fresh Foods

  Taylor Fresh Foods recall (8/9)

• Remediation — Taylor Fresh Foods

Source excerpt

• As a result of the recall by Coast Citrus Distributors, downstream recalls are being conducted for recalled jalapeños and products containing recalled jalapeños.

Company response

• Recall — Taylor Farms

  這家總部位於加州的食品供應商9日表示，在接獲分銷商Coast Citrus通知、得知該公司正在召回新鮮墨西哥辣椒後，決定自願召包括莎莎醬（salsas）及牛油果醬（guacamole）在內的產品。

• Remediation — Taylor Farms

  公司在聲明中表示，公司已停止向墨西哥錫那羅亞州（Sinaloa）一名被認定為此次沙門氏菌疫情潛在源頭的農戶採購產品。

Source excerpt

• The product distributed at Target is a 20-ounce Taylor Farms Taco Dip with UPC 030223073581 and a “Best If Used By” date of Aug. 12, 2026.

• According to a Monday news release from Taylor Farms, Target and Walmart stores in Florida are recalling several products linked to the outbreak involving fresh jalapeños supplied by Coast Citrus Distributors.

• Products distributed at Walmart include Hot or Spicy Pico de Gallo with UPC 681131276351 and Mild Pico de Gallo with UPC 681131276344.

Company response

• Denial — Instacart

  does not and will not engage in surveillance pricing.

• Denial — JetBlue

  does not use personal information or web browsing history to set individual pricing.

• Denial — Delta Air Lines

  Delta also denied using personal data to individually price fares

Source excerpt

• The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) said it launched an inquiry into nine companies, ordering them to provide information about how they use consumers' and workers' personal data to set prices and compensation.

• Federal regulators announced Wednesday that they are examining whether major airlines, ride-hailing companies, delivery services and retailers are using personal data to charge different customers different prices for the same products and services or determine how much gig workers are paid.

• The orders were sent to Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, JetBlue, Lyft, Uber, DoorDash, Instacart, Target and Walmart, according to the FTC.

Company response

• Refund or compensation — Target

  If you have one of these mailboxes, you can return them to Target for a refund in the form of a gift card.

Source excerpt

• Customers Injured – MN Based Target Recalls “Dangerous” Product

• According to Bring Me the News, the letter box opening had some sharp edges and seven people were cut. Three of them so severely that they needed "medical attention".

Company response

• Recall — Avanti Frozen Foods

  This recall expansion has been initiated out of an abundance of precaution and will cover a large amount of product that has not been associated with any illness but [has] been undertaken following discussions with FDA and CDC and reflects Avanti's commitment to public health and safety

Source excerpt

• The frozen shrimp involved in this recall were distributed throughout the United States between November 2020 and May 2021

• the affected products "[have] the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella."

• The recall also includes Mai Cuisine-branded tempura rolls that were sold at some Target location in California, as well as the Chicken of the Sea frozen shrimp rings and Meijer frozen cooked shrimp that were available at some Meijer stores.

Source excerpt

• The Food and Drug Administration made the announcement Friday (August 13), but has since added Target and Whole Foods as retailers that carry the product to the list.

• Federal authorities say more than two dozen shrimp products sold nationwide are being recalled in a salmonella outbreak

Source excerpt

• Some people defended the product line, noting that the T-shirts were made by Black business owners. But others were upset that Target incorporated what they considered hurtful stereotypes into the collection, even if certain words and phrases inscribed on the shirts were struck over.

• A viral tweet on Thursday mocking the campaign pointed out that some of the T-shirts included in the collection were considered problematic by people on social media.

Company response

• Apology — Target

  Target realized their mistake, apologized, and quickly took all of the onsies off the store shelves, according to the GopherHole Twitter account.

• Remediation — Target

  Target realized their mistake, apologized, and quickly took all of the onsies off the store shelves, according to the GopherHole Twitter account.

• Apology — Target

  Target removed the items, and apologized to fans.

• Remediation — Target

  Target removed the items, and apologized to fans.

Source excerpt

• Target realized their mistake, apologized, and quickly took all of the onsies off the store shelves, according to the GopherHole Twitter account.

• Target accidentally printed the wrong team mascot on a bunch of baby onsies.

• Target said on Twitter that the masks were being sold in error in “select Seattle stores” and that it was removing them from shelves and donating them to the Washington Department of Health.

Company response

• Clarification — Target

  Since we haven't been formally served, we don't have anything to share on this lawsuit by way of public comment at this time.

Source excerpt

• The complaint, filed Feb. 4 in the U.S. District Court of Oregon and first reported by the , alleges that the similarity between the two lines is "likely to cause confusion, mistake, or deception, or to deceive consumers as to the source, origin, affiliation, association."

• Portland-based clothing company Wildfang filed a lawsuit in federal court Tuesday alleging Target's clothing line, Wild Fable, infringed on the company's trademark.

• At Target, we have a deep appreciation and respect for trademarks. Since we haven't been formally served, we don't have anything to share on this lawsuit by way of public comment at this time.

Source excerpt

• Target Enterprise Inc., a subsidiary of Minnesota-based Target Corp., will pay $7,500 to the woman and about $300 to each of 5,484 other Massachusetts residents, court records show.

• A subsidiary of Target has agreed to pay nearly $2.3 million to settle a class-action lawsuit filed by a Clinton woman who alleged it engaged in illegal debt collection practices.

• A Target Corp. subsidiary will pay nearly $2.3 million to settle a class-action lawsuit filed by a Massachusetts woman who alleged it engaged in illegal debt collection practices, court records show.

Company response

• Apology — Target

  Target has apologized for selling N95 masks in some of its Seattle stores

• Remediation — Target

  We are worked quickly to remove these masks from our stores and donate them to the Washington State Department of Health for distribution to local hospitals

• Apology — Target

  “Target’s commitment to communities is unwavering & we apologize,” the company wrote.

• Remediation — Target

  Target said on Twitter that the masks were being sold in error in “select Seattle stores” and that it was removing them from shelves and donating them to the Washington Department of Health.

Source excerpt

• “We are also thoroughly reviewing our full inventory for any additional masks, which will be donated given the critical need across the medical community,” Target told Gizmodo in a statement. “Target’s commitment to communities is unwavering and we apologize for our error.”

• “On Saturday, in select stores in the Seattle area, shipments of N95 masks were made available for purchase in error. We are worked quickly to remove these masks from our stores and donate them to the Washington State Department of Health for distribution to local hospitals,” a spokesperson at Target told Gizmodo via email on Sunday.

• Target has apologized for selling N95 masks in some of its Seattle stores after a photo of the masks went viral on social media.

Company response

• Apology — Target

  “Target's commitment to communities is unwavering & we apologize,” the company wrote.

• Remediation — Target

  Target said on Twitter that the masks were being sold in error in “select Seattle stores," and they were being removed from shelves and donated to the Washington Department of Health.

Source excerpt

• Hospitals have run so short of the masks and other personal protection equipment that they've had to ration them, sometimes giving doctors or nurses just one per shift and forcing them to wash them out between patients.

• Target Corp. apologized Saturday, March 21 for selling face masks in Seattle stores while hospitals face a dire shortage amid a growing coronavirus outbreak.

• Target said on Twitter that the masks were being sold in error in “select Seattle stores," and they were being removed from shelves and donated to the Washington Department of Health.

Company response

• Remediation — Target

  Target will make changes over the next two years in its Connecticut, Maryland, New Jersey and New York stores to eliminate exit access problems and storage hazards.

Source excerpt

• The US Department of Labor and Target agreed Monday “to correct exit access and storage hazards and enhance worker safety” in 200 of Target’s northeast stores and to pay a penalty of $465,000.

• Target will make changes over the next two years in its Connecticut, Maryland, New Jersey and New York stores to eliminate exit access problems and storage hazards.

Company response

• Investigation — Target

  We have investigated the matter and believe that it was not a deliberate act but an unfortunate mistake that could have been avoided with more clarification.

• Personnel action — Target

  We're taking appropriate actions with the team member, including additional training, to ensure this does not occur again,

Source excerpt

• The Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MN) is representing Aishah. It filed a charge to the Minnesota Department of Human Rights on Monday.

• After the incident, Aishah has filed a discrimination charge against Target, which runs and operates the particular store.

• A Muslim woman has alleged that she received a beverage from a Target Starbucks barista with "ISIS" written on the cup instead of her name at one of the retail corporation's Minnesota locations.

Company response

• Ongoing disclosure — Target

  We believe the costs are covered within the scope of the insurance policy Target has with ACE and are focused on resolving the outstanding claim.

Source excerpt

• Target has been in discussions with the American Insurance Company (ACE) for over a year and recently filed a lawsuit against ACE to recoup costs Target had to pay banks for printing and mailing replacement payment cards after the 2013 data breach.

• Target filed the lawsuit against Pennsylvania-based ACE, which is now part of Chubb Corp, on Tuesday in the US District Court in Minnesota.

• New cards had to be issued after a hacker installed software on Target's computer network and gained access to the personal information of 60 million customers and the payment card information of 40 million customers in November 2013.