As brands retreat from diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) commitments, a quieter story is playing out in customer trust, loyalty, and revenue, and CX leaders need to pay attention.
The political headwinds around DEI have been loud, but the business signals are louder. According to our 2026 CX Leaders Trends & Insights: Corporate Edition report, 68% of consumers say it’s important for companies to take a public position on their DEI practices and allow that position to guide their operations. Yet only 36% of CX leaders say their company actually does this. That gap isn’t a branding problem. It’s a performance problem.
The Purchasing Power Behind the Principle
The consumers who care most about DEI aren’t a niche; they represent some of the fastest-growing pools of spending power in the country. Black buying power in the U.S. is projected to top $2 trillion in 2026. U.S. Latino purchasing power stands at $3.78 trillion. The LGBTQIA+ community represents an estimated $1.4 trillion domestically, and up to $4.7 trillion globally. Multicultural consumers now account for more than 65% of U.S. expenditure growth.
And they’re making purchase decisions accordingly. One-third of consumers say they’ve already cut back or stopped buying from brands that rolled back DEI commitments. Among Black and Latino consumers, that number jumps to 45%. Among LGBTQIA+ consumers, it reaches 58%.
The Contact Center
Corporate statements about inclusion don’t matter if the customer experience doesn’t reflect them. When CX leaders were asked how their company performs on accessibility and inclusion in customer support, 76% rated themselves “Very Good” or “Somewhat Good.” When consumers were asked the same question about those same brands, only 58% agreed.
That 18-point perception gap is a blind spot, and blind spots in CX show up in churn, negative reviews, and eroding loyalty over time.
The Companies Staying the Course
While some brands pulled back in 2024 and 2025, others held firm, and their results are worth noting. Costco’s board unanimously urged shareholders to reject an anti-DEI resolution in early 2025; shareholders agreed by a 98% margin. The company’s employee turnover rate is roughly 7%, well below the retail industry average of over 60%. That’s not a coincidence; it’s the return on a workforce that feels valued and a customer base that feels seen.
McKinsey research shows companies in the top quartile for leadership diversity are 39% more likely to outperform financially. Boston Consulting Group found that organizations with above-average diversity generate 19% higher innovation revenues. Harvard Business Review reports that diverse teams make better decisions 87% of the time.
The Window Is Open
This moment has created an opening. As some brands step back, others are signaling something unmistakable to the market: who they’re building for, and whether they can be trusted to hold that position when things get harder.
The brands that will emerge strongest aren’t the loudest; they’re the most consistent.
Want the full picture, including a practical roadmap for auditing your CX experience through an inclusion lens, connecting DEI to core KPIs, and building multicultural fluency into your service design?
Read the full article in the April issue of CX Insight magazine →
