You are not correct.
The gay thing was trivial compared to the total abandonment of a hundred years of retail knowledge ans strategy.
it was the latter that caused customers to flee. the gay thing was but a gust in the stronger gale.
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I can’t disagree with you.
The letter from the Board to American shoppers that would work:
“We are sorry that we abandoned American values by tolerating perversion. We now realize that homosexuality is wrong and apologize for championing such perverse behavior in our advertising. All board members who approved such behavior have now resigned and we invite customers back now that we have regained the focus, by obvious Biblical direction, of the original JCP founders.”