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Best Buy vs Target

On overall TruNorth grade, Best Buy scores higher (Best Buy: B, Target: D). Both graded from public records across nine values categories.

B
Best Buy
59.3/100
D
Target
36/100

Political donations

Best Buy

FEC: $52K PAC donations; 54% to Republican, 46% to Democratic committees.

Target

FEC: $47K PAC donations; 54% to Republican, 46% to Democratic committees. [CA CalAccess + NY COELIG + TX Ethics adds state-level totals.]

Environment

Best Buy

CDP Climate Change: A- (2024) — leadership-band environmental disclosure with validated targets.

Target

hazardous waste violation: $22.6M in federal penalties (Violation Tracker).

Labor

Best Buy

47 federal penalties totaling $22.4M since 2000 (Violation Tracker).

Target

177 federal penalties totaling $192.4M since 2000 (Violation Tracker).

DEI

Best Buy

HRC Corporate Equality Index: 100/100 — Equality 100 Leader (2025). Top-rated LGBTQ+ workplace policies, benefits, and culture. JUST Capital JUST 100 — ranked #30 of Russell 1000 (2025) for treatment of workers, customers, communities, environment. Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index member (2024) — transparent on female leadership, equal pay, inclusive culture. HRC Corporate Equality Index 100/100 (2025) — top-tier LGBTQ+ workplace equality rating.

Target

Rolled back major DEI programs in January 2025 — ended its three-year DEI goals and the REACH (Racial Equity Action and Change) initiative begun in 2020, withdrew from the Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index, stopped tracking DEI hiring goals, and rebranded its Supplier Diversity program to “Supplier Engagement,” citing “an evolving external landscape” (CNBC, Jan 24 2025). Before the rollback Target was a long-standing DEI leader: HRC Corporate Equality Index 100/100 (2024), JUST Capital JUST 100 (#23 of the Russell 1000, 2024), and a Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index member. JUST Capital JUST 100 — ranked #23 of Russell 1000 (2025) for treatment of workers, customers, communities, environment. HRC Corporate Equality Index 100/100 (2025) — top-tier LGBTQ+ workplace equality rating. Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index member (2024) — transparent on female leadership, equal pay, inclusive culture.

Charity

Best Buy

$30M reported corporate giving in 2024 (~0.07% of revenue) via Best Buy Foundation. JUST Capital JUST 100 — ranked #30 of Russell 1000 (2025) for treatment of workers, customers, communities, environment. Operates the Best Buy Foundation: $13.2M in charitable contributions, gifts & grants paid (FY2023, IRS Form 990-PF).

Target

$230M reported corporate giving in 2024 (~0.21% of revenue) via Target Foundation. JUST Capital JUST 100 — ranked #23 of Russell 1000 (2025) for treatment of workers, customers, communities, environment. Drucker Institute Management Top 250 — ranked #23 (2024) on customer satisfaction, employee engagement, innovation, social responsibility, and financial strength. Fortune World's Most Admired Companies — ranked #11 (2024). Newsweek Most Trustworthy Companies in America — ranked #6 (2024). Operates the Target Foundation: $26.4M in charitable contributions, gifts & grants paid (FY2024, IRS Form 990-PF).

Animal testing

Best Buy

No public record found.

Target

Target sustainable-seafood policy developed with FishWise — covers MSC + ASC + Seafood Watch alignment. [FishWise partner]

Firearms

Best Buy

No federal firearms license on record for this company in the ATF FFL registry — no licensed firearms dealing or manufacturing.

Target

No federal firearms license on record for this company in the ATF FFL registry — no licensed firearms dealing or manufacturing.

Privacy

Best Buy

Wikipedia "Privacy" section: On October 20, 2023, CBC News released the results of a Marketplace investigation which found that Best Buy technicians had viewed private files, such as intimate photos, on customer devices. One…

Target

1 publicly-disclosed data breach per Have I Been Pwned (2013) — 70M accounts compromised. Most recent: Target (2013).

Executive pay

Best Buy

CEO total compensation $16.2M (2024; other named executives averaged $4.3M) — SEC pay-versus-performance disclosure (Item 402(v) XBRL).

Target

CEO-to-median-worker pay ratio 794:1 (median employee pay $58,269) — SEC proxy statement (DEF 14A, 2026).

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