Issues@Hand
AFA initiatives, Christian activism, news briefs
November-December 1995 – American Family Association has officially ended its boycott of Kmart. Donald E. Wildmon, president of AFA, said the five-year boycott was ended at the request of Floyd Hall, the new Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer for Kmart.
Hall wrote Wildmon in early September saying that Kmart had totally divested itself of stock in Waldenbooks and urged AFA to end the boycott.
AFA had promoted the boycott after Kmart, under the direction of former Chrm. Joseph Antonini, refused to pull pornography from their bookstores. The company’s financial fortunes took a tumble after the boycott began. “Our boycott was not totally responsible for the economic woes of Kmart, but it was certainly a major part of their economic decline,” Wildmon said.
AFA had distributed approximately 20,000,000 “Boycott Kmart” cards and promoted the boycott through their half-million membership organization. Wildmon said support from scores of thousands of churches and hundreds of Christian radio stations added to the effectiveness of the boycott.
On February 7, Wildmon wrote Chrm. Hall explaining the boycott. Chrm. Hall responded with a short letter on March 1. “As you may have read, we are in the process of selling the majority of the bookstore subsidiary in a public offering. We anticipate that sale being completed later this year, at which time I believe that the concerns you have will no longer be appropriately directed to Kmart, but to the public bookstore company,” Hall wrote.
Had the boycott been ineffective, Chrm. Hall would have had no other reason to write again. AFA did not contact Chrm. Hall following his March 1 letter. However, seven months later Chrm. Hall wrote AFA asking that we offcially end the boycott. “That was clear proof that the boycott was effective and contributed in a significant way to the financial problems suffered by Kmart,” Wildmon said.
After being assured that Kmart owned no stock whatsoever in Waldenbooks, the boycott was ended.
“It could have been ended years ago, and would have, had it not been for the arrogant attitude of previous Chrm. Antonini. It shows what dedicated and concerned individuals can do when they join together in a concerted boycott,” Wildmon concluded. 
