Much of the buildup of the resistance to Trump can be traced back to the #GrabYourWallet campaign. The campaign began on October 11, 2016 in response to the release of the Trump Tapes, in which the presidential hopeful openly made lewd comments regarding women. It was then that Shannon Coulter and Sue Atencio, who had never met prior to the campaign, came together to boycott companies carrying Trump brands, including those from daughter Ivanka Trump’s company. Coulter introduced the hashtag #GrabYourWallet as both an allusion to “women’s epic consumer power,” as well as to Trump’s infamous statement in which he says he could, “Grab [women] by the pussy.” The movement has gained considerable popularity and has evolved to be a “central resource for the flexing of consumer power in favor of a more respectful and inclusive society.”
The campaign seems to have had substantial effect. Popular retailers, such as Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Marshalls, and Burlington Coat Factory, have resultingly dropped Donald Trump’s and his daughter Ivanka Trump’s products. However, some dropped Trump’s brands long before the #GrabYourWallet campaign began; for example, Macy’s dropped Donald Trump’s line in 2015. Macy’s CEO Terry J. Lundgren told The Street that the reason they had dropped Trump was because he had entered the political scene and this was in conflict with his vision for the company. “I just think we don’t want to be a politically associated company, we sell to everybody at Macy’s and have a broad and diverse customer base.” Macy’s still carries Ivanka Trump products.
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Similarly, Uber chief executive Travis Kalanick joined Trump’s economic advisory board in December. Reaction to Kalanick’s appointment was overwhelmingly negative,
photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
with both Uber employees and customers expressing dissatisfaction with the supposed endorsement of the new administration. Kalanick eventually left the council and, in a memo to Uber employees, expressed concern that his presence on the council was misinterpreted as support. “Joining the group was not meant to be an endorsement of the President or his agenda but unfortunately it has been misinterpreted to be exactly that,” he wrote. In an attempt to distance himself from the administration, his stance on Trump’s immigration ban was expressed in a memo. “Immigration and openness to refugees is an important part of our country’s success and quite honestly to Uber’s,” he said. “We will fight for the rights of immigrants in our communities so that each of us can be who we are with optimism and hope for the future.”
One of the largest companies that dropped Ivanka Trump’s fashion line was Nordstrom, who attributed the decision to poor sales and decreasing popularity of the merchandise. Neiman Marcus and Marshalls also dropped the Ivanka line; however, Nordstrom was singled out when Trump called the company out in a tweet on February 8, 2017. “My daughter Ivanka has been treated so unfairly by @Nordstrom,” he said. “She is a great person — always pushing me to do the right thing! Terrible!” Ironically, Nordstrom’s stock went up 4.1% that Wednesday.
The fact of several major retailers dropping Trump brands does not suggest complete disinterest in his products across the board or refutation of his presidency. In fact, some popular brands have gone so far as to endorse the controversial president and his family. L.L. Bean, for example, is cited as a prominent company supporting Trump because of a $30,000 donation to Trump’s campaign made by company-heiress Linda Bean. In return, Trump tweeted, “Thank you to Linda Bean of L.L.Bean for your great support and courage. People will support you even more now. Buy L.L.Bean. @LBPerfectMaine,” in January 2017 before his inauguration. Kevin Plank, CEO of Under Armour, also came out as a Trump supporter. “To have such a pro-business president is something that is a real asset for the country,” says Plank in an interview with CNBC. “People can really grab that opportunity. He wants to build things. He wants to make bold decisions and be really decisive.” Nonetheless, in a letter from Plank to Baltimore, Under Armour’s hometown, stated that the company “[stands] firmly for equal rights” and “[believes] immigration is a source of strength, diversity, and innovation for global companies based in America like Under Armour.”
Both Yuengling Brewery and Millercoors, two major beer-based corporations, have been alleged to support Trump as well. Dick Yuengling, current owner of Yuengling Brewery, said to Donald Trump’s son Eric Trump, “Our guys are behind your father. We need him in there,” and former Millercoors Chairman Pete Coors, an ardent conservative, co-hosted a fundraiser for the then-president hopeful. On the other hand, Budweiser, another notable beer company, allegedly displayed opposition to Trump when the company aired an immigration-themed commercial during the 2017 Super Bowl. The advertisement offered a brief look into the story of Adolphus Busch, who later found Budweiser, and his hardships as a German immigrant. The ad supported just, compassionate treatment towards immigrants. Ricardo Marques, vice president of Budweiser’s marketing, told Adweek that the ad airing at the time it did was coincidental. Though, he also commented, “Even though it happened in the 1850s, it’s a story that is super relevant today.” The opinions of company CEOs don’t always determine whether or not they carry either Donald or Ivanka Trump products. One notable example is Amazon who, despite carrying many Trump products from books to Ivanka’s best-selling perfume, is headed by Jeff Bezos. Bezos, who founded the online retail giant, tweeted his hope to offer Trump a one-way ticket to space, a radical demonstration of his dislike for the president. “Finally trashed by @realDonaldTrump,” he said. “Will still reserve him a seat on the Blue Origin rocket.” Bezos was openly opposed to Trump’s controversial immigration ban in January 2017.
Are Bezos’ statements enough for Trump’s detractors to support the retailer, despite it carrying Trump merchandise? Apparently not. #GrabYourWallet continues to list Amazon as a company to boycott.
As companies continue to drop Trump lines, what does this mean for his and Ivanka’s businesses? It might be too early to tell, as these boycotts are only several months in the making, but Trump and his family seem to be taking hits already. His hotels have seen a 59% drop in occupying, and in New York City, sales have plummeted by 74%.
