Candi Carter is launching the Red Bag store for various brands in the middle of Dei -Cuts

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Because many companies have left Dei programs and commitments in the past two years, veteran TV producer Candi Carter is at the forefront of using digital platforms to support companies in black and better support under-represented business owners. The newest company from Carter also uses the fast -growing sector of “Shoppable TV” content.
Carter is the founder of Store red bagAn online marketplace that bowed last month, on JuneteENTH, with a compound collection of household goods from a diverse range of independent suppliers. The site is designed to help consumers to be more intentional in focusing their dollars to companies that match their values and principles.
“One of the things that was important to me if someone who tells stories for a living is to ensure that their voices were heard,” Carter said Variety. “This is not just a website. This is a movement. This is where people can change their habits and postpone their dollars.”
Company giants such as Walmart, McDonald’s, Starbucks, Chipotle, Lowe’s and Tractor Supply belong to the heavyweights for retail and consumers who have rolled back the dei-related commitments or goals a few years ago. In January, on the heels of the flurry of President Donald Trump of executive orders that have focused on the dei programs in the federal government, Target announced that it would put an end to its diversity, shares and inclusion initiatives.
Target was quickly confronted with recoil and organized consumer boycots among some black consumers because of his reverse face about his racial stock action and change (reach) initiative. That program was launched in April 2021 and called for the Retailer established in Minneapolis to invest more than $ 2 billion with black companies by the end of this year 2025.
In May 2022, Target said that “has more investments with brands, companies and suppliers with black ownership by more than 50% compared to 2020 and more than doubled with the range of brand products, with representation in every important product category.” It also revealed that it had added more than 100 black brands, including beauty products, home goods, books, toys, clothing, accessories and food and drinking items.
The reversal of Target has fueled a long -term boycott of consumers supported by some prominent black religious leaders, including supporters of Dei principles. In response to the tumult, Carter created a store for store to tackle the void for black entrepreneurs and business owners.
“It is to support and elevate the brands, but it is a dual mission,” Carter explained. “One is to get money in the pockets of these brands, because by doing that, you build the community. We are now in a precarious situation where all dei is bad. We are not victims. As a Afro -Americans, if we can reduce our dollars to our community, then we can be pretty prosperous over the next four years and then.”
As more and more consumer dollars are issued online, there is opportunities in a targeted marketplace for socially conscious consumers, Carter added.
“The other side is to give people a place to shop. We turn the store into a bona fide option for large retail and allow people to shop various brands and get the things they need,” she said.
Shop Red Bag contains brands such as the training of Nicole Ari Parker’s Workout SweatBands Gymwrap, Sky and KJ Smith’s Coffee Line Black, Vontélle -glasses and dozens in the categories of clothing, hair products, skin care, makeup, paper goods and more. Two weeks later, Carter said that the response of customers and brands was positive.
“Everyone is excited,” she said. ‘Everyone is like:’ We needed this. ‘When I talk to people, they tell me it is great because they searched and don’t know where to go.
In her CEO title Steping is a new achievement for Carter. For three decades, Carter worked as a producer and executive producer on some well -known programs from during the day, including “The Tamron Hall Show”, “The View” and “The Oprah Winfrey Show.” Diving in e-commerce, however, was familiar territory for her after she developed a specialty for producing shops segments for talk shows during the day. Now she defends the marriage of content and trade as a solution for networks that are looking for new forms of income.
“E-commerce has been found money,” said Carter. “If you include products in your shows and content, you will not compete with advertising time. Whatever you make of people who buy while they view your content is just a icing at the top.”
Carter founded her e-commerce company, Cistus MediaIn 2024 to help networks and content makers earn their target groups by building an online store with composite brands. Her current Roster from customers includes Bet, Warner Bros. Discovery, Black Star Network, Telepictures Productions and Revolt.
While media entities explore new ways of income, the rise of Shoppable TV begins to bring about a revolution in the relationship between entertainment and e-commerce. In contrast to traditional media channels such as QVC and HSN, Carter Shoppable TV sees as the future of e-commerce and entertainment, because it integrates the purchase directly into the viewing experience through streaming, live broadcasts, social media and other platforms where the public consumes content.
“I help people get that shirt the first time they see it about discovery when they are in the cinema,” said Carter. “If you look at different shows, you will see Reddit -Threads with people who say:” Where did they get that in that one TV show? ” Or “I’m looking for this wallet from this show.” Pop culture heavily influences the way we shop.




