How Costco Is Bucking the DEI Trend [Video]

As companies across the U.S. are dropping diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs to avoid criticism and backlash by conservative activists, retail giant Costco is standing firm.

“If these are the policies you see as offensive, I must tell you I am not prepared to change,” the warehouse retailer’s CEO Ron Vachris told a customer who had emailed him earlier this month asking him if Costco was hiring staff based on “skin color” or “gender identification,” The Wall Street Journal reported.

Newsweek contacted Costco for comment by email on Friday morning, outside of standard working hours.

Why It Matters

Costco has reinforced its commitment to its DEI initiatives even as many companies—including Walmart, Tractor Supply, Ford Motor, Harley Davidson, Toyota, Boeing, Microsoft, Home Depot, Southwest Airlines, and Deere—have recently rolled back theirs amid the political and legal storm surrounding such programs.

Many gave in to the social-media firestorms started by conservative activists against DEI programs as …