Best Buy has become the latest major U.S. brand to face a Bud Light-style boycott, with critics accusing the company of pursuing a far-left agenda in its hiring practices.
“A Citizen Journalist has revealed Best Buy is partnering with McKinsey & Company on a management training program,” wrote James O'Keefe, the investigative journalist formerly of Project Veritas, on social media. “The program is not open to white applicants.”
That memo, which Best Buy has not commented on, revealed opportunities for workers on how to ascend in the company’s management if they meet certain qualifications.
“We’re excited to announce awesome news about the McKinsey professional development programs! As a part of Best Buy’s commitment to develop and support our employees, we’ve partnered with McKinsey & Company to offer the McKinsey Leadership programs,” it says. “These professional development programs customize its curriculum and discussions to the unique situations, experiences and opportunities of diverse professionals.”
But in order to qualify for the program, the memo says that employees have to be black, Hispanic, Asian, or Pacific Islander. They also need to have worked at Best Buy for more than a year and be in a salaried role, according to the alleged memo.
The electronics retailer announced a recent diversity push on its website in July 2022, saying that it would help create “diverse leaders” and develop a “diverse workforce.”
“Our main focus through the collaboration of the cohorts is to create a space where everyone feels valued and included,” Best Buy senior manager of strategic initiatives, inclusion and diversity Georgia Vahoua said on the company’s website. “In addition to the core leadership and management skills that are learned, each cohort also provides a strong networking opportunity for its members that lasts long after the program ends.”
Best Buy, meanwhile, has said it would partner with McKinsey & Company, a consulting company that has been involved in a number of controversies---namely the 2001 Enron collapse---to offer the McKinsey Management Accelerator program.
“As part of Best Buy’s commitment to develop and support our employees who identify as black, indigenous, or people of color (BIPOC), we’ve partnered with McKinsey & Company to offer the McKinsey Management Accelerator program,” Best Buy’s website reads. “The McKinsey Management Accelerator program focuses on professional career development by customizing its curriculum and discussions to the unique situations, experiences and opportunities of BIPOC professionals,” the site says.
Best Buy started using the McKinsey Accelerator Program in 2020 with one course for black employees and has expanded the program for Asian, Hispanic, and Latino workers, according to its website.
Boycott?
After Mr. O'Keefe’s post, a number of social media users said that consumers should boycott Best Buy in a manner similar to the ones that had targeted Bud Light and Target. Bud Light has seen its sales slump by double-digit figures year over year in the midst of a boycott over its decision to engage in a promotional campaign with a transgender activist.
“Best Buy [expletive] on White men. I’m done with them forever, wrote ”Dilbert“ cartoonist and political commentator Scott Adams. Meanwhile, former California GOP leader and prominent lawyer Harmeet Dhillon suggested the policies contained within the alleged Best Buy memo ”seems illegal.”
America First Legal encouraged some Best Buy employees who may faced discrimination to reach out to the legal group. “If you are a current Best Buy employee who does not qualify for this program because of your race, we want to hear from you today,” America First said.
The Epoch Times has contacted Best Buy for comment on Friday. The company has not issued a public comment on Mr. O'Keefe’s allegations or calls for a boycott.
As for the Bud Light controversy, in an investors’ call last week, Anheuser-Busch InBev CEO Michel Doukeris stated that AB InBev’s U.S. team is working hard to win back consumers amid the Bud Light debacle. As of the week ended July 29, Bud Light’s sales have dropped 17 straight weeks and were down 29 percent year over year.
“Regardless of favorability, our consumers across all the sentiment groups have three points of feedback in common. One, they want to enjoy their beer without a debate. Two, they want Bud Light to focus on beer. Three, they want Bud Light to concentrate on the platforms that all consumers love,” Mr. Doukeris said earlier this month.
