Tractor Supply's diversity efforts came to an abrupt end on June 6.

Within a few hours, Tractor Supply's management began to consider how the controversy could be contained. Three weeks later, the company decided to suspend all diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives as well as some of its environmental goals.

The Effectiveness of Starbucks' Campaign and Tractor Supply's Quick Response Demonstrate How Much the Climate Has Turned Against DEI Efforts in American Companies. Four Years Ago, Many Companies Viewed These Measures as Necessary; Today, They Are Considered Too Risky.

The company based in Brentwood, Tennessee, is particularly vulnerable to such attacks because its customer base is predominantly male and rural, and supports conservative political candidates. As attacks on Starbucks gained traction on social media, Tractor Supply's executives noticed signs that the message resonated with their most loyal customers.

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"After Starbuck's first post went online on June 6, online criticism quickly increased. Initially, some executives hoped that interest would quickly wane. But the opposite happened: Starbuck continuously published new posts criticizing various aspects of corporate policy. Eventually, complaints from customers and employees accumulated.

Starbuck primarily gathered his information from publicly accessible videos and documents about the company's activities, such as images of executives and their political affiliations as well as corporate videos on Tractor Supply's DEI efforts. In a post from June 24, Starbuck showed a video of CEO Hal Lawton emphasizing the importance of diversity and inclusion.

Two days later, Starbuck posted screenshots of LinkedIn posts from the HR manager of Tractor Supply, highlighting a $10,000 donation to an LGBTQ program and the recognition of the anniversary of the Stonewall uprising. "Is this how you want your money to be used?" wrote Starbuck.

The decision by Tractor Supply to withdraw from DEI initiatives is remarkable. Many companies have faced similar criticism and largely maintained their DEI programs. According to a survey by Bridge Partners from 2023, about 70% of companies plan to expand their DEI programs.

Some companies have made subtle changes to avoid legal challenges. Many adhere to DEI initiatives as they target liberal consumers and recruits at liberal colleges. David Glasgow, Executive Director of the Meltzer Center for Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging, sees Tractor Supply’s decision as 'an illustration of the two Americas'.

Tractor Supply, which operates approximately 2,200 stores in the USA, recorded strong sales during the pandemic as more urban dwellers moved to rural areas. CEO Hal Lawton, who joined the company from Macy’s in 2020, focused on modernizing stores and expanding the product range to satisfy both new and long-standing customers.

The decision to discontinue DEI initiatives was made by the company after other companies like Bud Light and Target faced similar criticism and their sales suffered. Early last week, Tractor Supply's executives decided that they could not let the controversy spill over onto larger conservative media platforms.

We have heard from customers that we have disappointed them," Tractor Supply stated in a statement that was also published on the platform X. The company announced that it would eliminate all DEI positions, withdraw its goals for reducing CO2 emissions, and cease supporting Pride festivals and election campaigns.

By Friday, the company had removed many mentions of previous DEI and emissions goals from its website.