Retailers have been under fire by boycotters to #DumpTrump. Sears, Kmart, Nordstrom, QVC, Neiman Marcus and Macy’s have all stopped selling Trump products to some extent, either online or in store. Boycotters rejoiced and carpooled to the mall. They were ready to make it rain in the name of protest.
It all seemed like a revolutionary glitch in the matrix. Then, retailers all admitted it was only a response to plummeting sales. After the yearlong horror of Trump’s campaign and his meme of a presidency, all they could talk about where their sales? Oh, wait. We’re talking about corporations. How could I forget?
Corporations thrive from relevancy. If we don’t know who they are, they won’t make money. If we aren’t pleased with what they’re selling, they won’t make money. They respond to trends and trends alone. Not one of the stores listed sought to join our cause. Not one store expressed direct opposition to Trump. The chief executive of Macy’s said Trump’s values don’t align with theirs, but she also says if Hillary had a collection it wouldn’t be sold there either. She doesn’t have the cleanest reputation either, though, so I’m not pressed about it. Macy’s still carries Ivanka’s line, just to throw that out there.
T.J. Maxx was said to have “joined the cause”, but all they’ve done is throw out Ivanka promo signs and mix her clothes in with the other ones to create the illusion that they’ve actually done something. To be honest, we can’t be sure any of these retailers care about us. Are they anti-Trump, or are they anti-middle class protest?
I’m not downplaying a good anti-capitalist boycott by any means. In fact, I encourage it! Still, how strong is our message if we ball out on brands whose only aim is to stay in demand? Do we know which way their executives voted? Who do they donate their money to? Are they allies in their everyday lives? We have to think about these things when we spend our money.
We live in a capitalistic society. There’s no way around that. Money is power here, so do your best to make your money count for something. All these corporations are playing on our vulnerabilities and the emotions we put into our daily activism.
Have you seen the new Nike campaign? It’s gorgeous, inclusive and empowering. However, are their products made ethically? Are they paying their employees enough to feed themselves and maintain a safe home for their families? I didn’t ask myself any of that after I saw the campaign. I read a tweet a few days later, and I was taken aback by how ignorant I am to that reality. That’s my privilege. I can watch a beautiful commercial about a brand and walk away feeling hopeful because I don’t live on the other side. Do some Googling and you’ll find that Nike is manufactured in China, Indonesia, Vietnam, Italy, the Philippines, Taiwan and South Korea. They’re profiting off of cheap labor in countries with relatively no labor laws and off of activists who want to spend their money in good places.
The only way to describe this entire situation is with Trump’s most profound quote to date: “Sad!”