Bed, Bath & Beyond Did Not Drop Ivanka Trump’s Home Line [Debunked]
Ivanka Trump may have been dropped from another major retailer. Rumors are swirling that Bed, Bath & Beyond is the latest to drop Ivanka’s home line from select stores. The rumor was originally started by a customer service representative, and the rumor spread to social media on April’s Fools Day. Ivanka’s home and clothing lines have been dropped from major retailers in light of the current political environment.
Ivanka Trump’s eponymous product line has been the center of political tension for months. Some have used the line to support the Trump administration. Meanwhile, customers have boycotted retailers that sell the line, starting the hashtag #GrabYourWallet. On Saturday, April 1, Shannon Coulter, founder of the social media campaign, announced that Bed, Bath & Beyond was the next retailer to drop Trump’s line.
This is a big one: @BedBathBeyond now confirming to customers it's no longer carrying Trump products. Just removed it from boycott list. + pic.twitter.com/OXxagLkZtN
— Shannon Coulter (@shannoncoulter) March 31, 2017
In addition, Bed, Bath & Beyond confirmed in a customer service email that Ivanka Trump’s products were no longer available on the website. Shortly after The Huffington Post first published a report, the retailer released an official statement confirming that the line was dropped in select stores.
“We want to apologize for recent confusion caused by one of our customer service representatives. Our customer service representative inadvertently provided information to a customer that was not accurate. We are not making our merchandising decisions based on anyone’s political beliefs. We have Ivanka Trump products in some stores and carry them where consumer demand and business performance justifies it. Bed, Bath & Beyond strives to provide our customers with a wide variety of high-quality product choices across our businesses that fit their varying preferences.”
Coulter later tweeted on Saturday that #GrabYourWallet will now wait for official statements from retailers before letting anyone known if a company has been taken off the campaign’s exhaustive boycott list. The home-goods store was the latest company included in the ongoing Trump drama.
In any case, we'll most likely be waiting for official statements to the press now before removing companies. https://t.co/75Y0UD9eZT
— Shannon Coulter (@shannoncoulter) April 2, 2017
Nordstrom angered the president earlier this year when it was reported the luxury department store announced it was no longer carrying Ivanka Trump’s apparel and accessories line due to poor sales, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
“We’ve said all along we make buying decisions based on performance. We’ve got thousands on brands – more than 2,000 offered on the site alone. Reviewing their merit and making edits is part of the regular rhythm of our business. Each year we cut about 10 percent and refresh our assortment with it about the same amount. In this case, based on the brand’s performance we’ve decided not to buy it for this reason.”
Neiman Marcus dropped Ivanka Trump’s products before later restocking her fine-jewelry collection, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
“Neiman Marcus has a very small Ivanka Trump precious jewelry business which is comprised 100 percent of cosigned merchandise (merchandise owned by the vendor),” a spokesperson told the outlet. “Based on productivity we continuously assess whether our brands are carried in stores, on our website, or both.”
My daughter Ivanka has been treated so unfairly by @Nordstrom. She is a great person — always pushing me to do the right thing! Terrible!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 8, 2017
Meanwhile, much of Ivanka Trump’s collection is still carried at major retailers and has been significantly marked down. Nordstrom Rack, Marshall’s, and Saks Off Fifth are also selling her products for a fraction of the original price in an effort to remove her line from their stores. The New York Times reported that TJX Companies, parent company of TJ Maxx and Marshall’s, sent a memo to stores informing them to remove all Ivanka Trump signs and fixtures and to move her merchandise and accessories into mixed clothing racks.
Ivanka Trump founded her brand in 2007. However, she stepped away from it earlier this year to focus on her reported new position in the White House. Her husband, Jared Kushner, is a Senior White House Advisor in the Trump administration.
Ivanka Trump’s collection is still available on Amazon, Macy’s, Overstock.com, and Zappos. However, according to Coulter’s recent tweets, Kmart, Sears, and Wayfair.com have stopped carrying her home accessories lines.
[Featured Image by Win McNamee/Getty Images]
