And while it’s easy to get lost in the company’s recent (poor) handling of American culture war narratives that cast it as too “woke” or too willing to cave to online fascists, the root of Target’s problems runs deep.

Michael Fiddelke, Target's current chief operating officer, will replace CEO Brian Cornell on Feb. 1 as the retailer works on its turnaround strategy.

It didn’t have to be this way. At the start of his tenure, Cornell, who the company announced yesterday will step down as CEO on February 1, was an outsider unafraid to move fast and break things. He had been CEO of a big PepsiCo unit, Michaels Stores, and Sam’s Club before that.

Activists and customers on the right attacked Target on social media for its LGBTQ-themed merchandise during Pride Month. Target employees faced threats. Misinformation spread on social media that the swimsuits designed for transgender people were marketed to children, which they were not. The company removed them from stores.

Fiddelke acknowledged many of these problems on Wednesday, saying Target was “urgently adjusting” to tariffs and changing consumer needs, embracing technology to automate manual work, and working to mend problems like slow decision-making, siloed internal goals, and a lack of access to quality data that would drive better inventory planning.

Target analysts are expecting mixed results when the retailer reports earnings on Wednesday. Business Insider visited stores to see why.

🍴 Cracker Barrel’s stock tanked after making what change? A. Discontinued its famous hashbrown casserole B. Unveiled a new, controversial logo C. Stopped operations in the South D. Released a very limited fall menu ⬇️ Scroll down for the answer.