One of the latest and most direct blows to proponents of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) came late last month from Tractor Supply, the Brentwood, Tennessee-based farm products and home improvement retailer.

After a social media blitz led by conservative activist Robby Starbuck, who decried Tractor Supply’s “woke agenda,” the company—which earned a 95 rating from the Human Rights Campaign in 2023 for its LGBTQ+-friendly workforce protections, benefits, and culture—all but obliterated its DE&I efforts.

“We have heard from customers that we have disappointed them,” Tractor Supply announced in a statement on X on June 27. “We have taken this feedback to heart.”

The company wrote it would stop submitting workforce data to the Human Rights Campaign, “eliminate DEI roles and retire our current DEI goals,” and “stop sponsoring nonbusiness activities like pride festivals.”

Less than two weeks later, on July 10, at a session during The Lead Summit conference in New York, a retail executive was making a case for DE&I, and it will come as no surprise that she wasn’t exactly lauding the company.

Kimberly Lee Minor, CEO of the Women of Color Retail Alliance, noted that she’d recently been asked about Tractor Supply retreating from its diversity and inclusion efforts.

“I said, ‘Well, I think that creates a white space for another company to come in who understands the world is very diverse,’” Minor said during the session.

Keep reading here.—AAN

Traditional advertising just doesn’t resonate with audiences the way it used to. Instead, influencer marketing has taken over in a big way. It helps marketers maintain authenticity and increase brand awareness—all while giving revenue a boost.

Whether you’re an influencer marketing newbie or are a seasoned pro, impact.com’s Ultimate Guide to Influencer Marketing covers everything you need to know. You’ll find fundamentals, best practices, and tips to make the most of your influencer marketing campaigns.

Here’s a sneak peek at what you’ll learn:

• what influencer marketing is + how it works
• examples of successful campaigns
• best practices for launching influencer campaigns + programs

Get impact.com’s Ultimate Guide to Influencer Marketing here.

What, you haven’t finished your back-to-school shopping yet?

That may sound like the utterings of the class clown, but by the end of July, parents expect to have already spent 66% of their back-to-school budget, up from 59% last year.

So says a new back-to-school survey from Deloitte, where parents estimate they’ll spend $586 per child, slightly down from $597 last year. (Don’t worry, Dylan, they’ll spend more on you because you’re their favorite.) That’ll add up to $31.3 billion, compared to $31.9 billion in 2023.

As you read this, SpongeBob backpacks are already being stolen from porches. Nearly half of respondents, who were polled the last week of May, planned to shop for Prime Day deals, up from 39% last year.

Keep reading here.—AAN

Another day, another major executive change. This time it was at Tom Ford, where Creative Director Peter Hawkings left his position this week. Although Hawkings had only been creative director at the brand since 2023, he oversaw its menswear department for years. No successor has been announced yet, but it should happen in the “near future,” according to the company.

“I want to thank Peter for his collaboration since Tom Ford Fashion became part of the Ermenegildo Zegna Group,” Lelio Gavazza, CEO of Tom Ford Fashion, said in a statement. “Along with his team, Peter has contributed to this important initial phase of development.”

As designer Tom Ford’s successor, Hawkings came into the creative director job with a lot of expectations, and in his brief time at the label known for its sexy-meets-classic aesthetic, lived up to many of them. His take, however, was a bit more subdued than what Ford had been known for.

Keep reading here.—JS

It’s prep time, people. Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BFCM)—aka the most important time of year in retail—is coming up fast. Make sure you’re informed on best practices and winning tactics by attending Klaviyo’s webinar on July 24. Ezra Firestone, founder of Smart Marketer, will discuss what makes a BFCM successful + common pitfalls to avoid. Save your seat.