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Target has experienced a decline in sales, with quarterly sales falling 5.4% in the second quarter compared to last year. The company’s total revenue for the second quarter was $24.8 billion, 4.9% lower year on year. Furthermore, online sales also sank, falling 10.5%. Transaction numbers and the average dollar amount of each transaction were down as well. Target has lowered its sales and profit expectations for the whole year due to recent trends.

The decline in sales follows a massive backlash to its “Pride” collection. Target’s “Pride” merchandise faced severe criticism back in May for including gender-bending clothing and LGBT-driven books aimed at young children, such as “The Pronoun Book” and “Bye Bye Binary.” Target also launched an adult “Pride” collection, which included “tuck-friendly” swimsuits. The company swiftly faced calls for a boycott on social media, leading to a massive drop in its stock price.

Adding to the company’s troubles was the discovery that the designer of some of its “Pride” collection items has also apparently created products with Satanic imagery. Target spokeswoman Kayla Castañeda, responding to backlash, noted that the company had to make changes to its plans, including removing items that have been at the center of the most significant confrontational behavior. The company has also moved the “Pride” displays to the back of some of its stores due to safety concerns for its employees.

Sales were impacted by the “strong reaction to this year’s Pride assortment,” said Target’s chief growth officer Christina Hennington. Speaking at a briefing, she added: “The reaction is a signal for us to pause, adapt, and learn.” The company has announced plans to make changes to its “Pride” collection, including changing the timing of the products, the placement in stores, and which brands are for sale.

Target’s struggles following the backlash are not unusual, as other companies experienced similar issues. Anheuser-Busch, Bud Light’s parent company, lost roughly $395 million in U.S. sales after a boycott over the company’s partnership with trans-identifying influencer Dylan Mulvaney. The company’s efforts to promote certain leftist political views have not been well received by the average American consumer, who values traditional values and morals.

The decline in sales and the backlash against Target’s “Pride” merchandise indicate that companies must take note of what customers want and not what leftist activists try to force upon them. Companies like Target should focus on customer needs instead of pandering to the politically correct agitators on the left. As the old adage goes, the customer is always right, and ignoring this principle has consequences. Target has learned this lesson the hard way.