Target's stock may be on a tear — but shoppers are still hating on the company

Target's (TGT) banal is up a coagulated 9.2% successful April arsenic investors stake connected a long-awaited turnaround taking shape.

But the determination papers implicit a world that investors whitethorn beryllium forgetting about: It's going to beryllium hard to outrun the company's caller checkered past successful the pursuit of brighter days financially.

What immoderate caller information says: Goldman Sachs expert Kate McShane has a caller enactment that looks astatine however consumers comprehend Target. Consumer perceptions of retailers are often gauged done nett promoter scores (NPS).

As McShane details successful the illustration below, "We looked astatine Net Promoter Scores and Net Purchase Intent (NPI) for Target connected a trailing 3-month basis. For some metrics, Target reached a 2025 debased successful aboriginal May (-13.0% for NPI, 20.9 for NPS), which was followed by sequential improvement, trends flattening successful the second fractional of the year, and is present declining twelvemonth to date."

"As of the week opening 4/12/26, Target’s NPI was astatine -9.4% and its NPS was astatine 24.5, an betterment from the lows successful mid-2025 but a sequential diminution from December levels (-7.0% NPI and 27.3 NPS)," McShane added. "That said, we enactment sequential betterment successful some metrics for the astir caller week."

The work done here: A debased nett promoter people is much than a byproduct of unhappy customers; it’s a flashing reddish airy signaling different operational challenges, according to retail consultancy Zipline.

Poor execution, inconsistent lawsuit experiences, and inefficiencies each lend to a anemic NPS. If this is near unchecked, a retailer could spot less repetition purchases and visits.

Read more: Best recognition cards for buying astatine Target (April 2026)

Target's caller past, astatine a glance: Target has nary uncertainty been wounded by the cognition that it's a much costly spot to store than Walmart (WMT). This has been shown consistently successful quarterly results comparisons betwixt the 2 retail giants.

But successful caller years, Target has besides go a fig successful the civilization wars, facing aggravated backlash from some ends of the governmental spectrum. This has weighed connected performance.

In 2023, blimpish consumers launched a boycott of the retailer's Pride Month collection, specifically targeting children's merchandise and "tuck-friendly" swimsuits for adults. The outcry grew truthful volatile that Target moved displays to the backmost of stores oregon removed them entirely, citing worker safety.

However, this pivot backfired, upsetting LGBTQ+ advocates and wide shoppers who accused the marque of "rainbow-washing" and failing to basal by its values nether pressure.