Retailers’ decisions now political fodder
Fallout from Nordstrom decision to drop Ivanka Trump line shows risks.
sales of Trump-branded items plunged 32 percent over the past year, prompting Nordstrom and other retailers to drop her merchandise.
Nordstrom’s decision to drop Ivanka Trump products enraged President Donald Trump, perplexed marketing experts and spurred one boycott but ended another.
The merchant’s move underscored the fraught nature of mixing business and politics — even unwittingly — in the Trump era.
“My daughter Ivanka has been treated so unfairly by @Nordstrom,” Trump tweeted after the Seattle-based retailer this month stopped selling her brand. “She is a great person — always pushing me to do the right thing! Terrible!”
The decision sparked backlash on Facebook and other social media sites. Actor Scott Baio, a Trump fan, said he and his wife no longer would shop at Nordstrom. However, Nordstrom is back in the good graces of the anti-Trump group #grabyourwallet, which urges consumers to boycott Amazon, Macy’s, Lord & Taylor and other retailers that carry Ivanka Trump clothes, purses and shoes.
The kerfuffle with Nordstrom — which operates five stores in Palm Beach County — is just one example of a big brand sparking controversy by apparently choosing political sides. After Under Armour Chief Executive Kevin Plank praised Trump in a television interview, NBA star Stephen Curry publicly disagreed