Boycotts tend to make a lot of noise, and the #GrabYourWallet campaign, which targets stores that sell brands associated with President Donald Trump or his family, might be noisier than most. Its website gets as many as 30,000 visits an hour, according to co-founder Shannon Coulter, and the campaign’s “reach” on Twitter—the number of times users have interacted with the hashtag—has topped 750 million since October, according to Retweet Rank.
But on an afternoon last week at Macy’s Herald Square, a random sampling of half a dozen women found only one who knew there was a boycott of the retailer. All of them, however, said they wouldn’t buy Ivanka Trump products.
Morgan, a Manhattan resident, does not support President Trump. But shopping in the women’s clothing department on her lunch hour, she said Macy’s proximity to her workplace trumped her politics. “I’d prefer to shop at Nordstrom,” she said, referring to the retail chain that recently announced it would no longer carry the Ivanka Trump brand. “But there isn’t one near my office.” Like the other women interviewed, Morgan preferred to give only her first name. “I support boycotting Ivanka Trump,” she added.
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Others also said they wouldn’t buy Ivanka’s brand, but they saw no need to boycott Macy’s.
“It’s a department store,” said Charlene, who had traveled from Connecticut for a day of shopping. “If people want to buy her clothing, it’s their choice.” She likes the Ivanka brand’s styles but not Donald Trump. “I wouldn’t choose her brand now, but I would have before,” Charlene said.
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Lisa, a furniture designer from Park Slope, dropped into Macy’s just to pick up some Nespresso coffee pods and was surprised to learn that the entire store had been targeted for a boycott, not just Pashacasino Trump-branded goods. But she agreed with the principle. “My little bit of money has power,” she said. “I’m just going to buy the Nespresso pods and leave.”
Boycotts tend to make a lot of noise, and the #GrabYourWallet campaign, which targets stores that sell brands associated with President Donald Trump or his family, might be noisier than most. Its website gets as many as 30,000 visits an hour, according to co-founder Shannon Coulter, and the campaign’s “reach” on Twitter—the number of times users have interacted with the hashtag—has topped 750 million since October, according to Retweet Rank.
But on an afternoon last week at Macy’s Herald Square, a random sampling of half a dozen women found only one who knew there was a boycott of the retailer. All of them, however, said they wouldn’t buy Ivanka Trump products.
Morgan, a Manhattan resident, does not support President Trump. But shopping in the women’s clothing department on her lunch hour, she said Macy’s proximity to her workplace trumped her politics. “I’d prefer to shop at Nordstrom,” she said, referring to the retail chain that recently announced it would no longer carry the Ivanka Trump brand. “But there isn’t one near my office.” Like the other women interviewed, Morgan preferred to give only her first name. “I support boycotting Ivanka Trump,” she added.
Others also said they wouldn’t buy Ivanka’s brand, but they saw no need to boycott Macy’s.
“It’s a department store,” said Charlene, who had traveled from Connecticut for a day of shopping. “If people want to buy her clothing, it’s their choice.” She likes the Ivanka brand’s styles but not Donald Trump. “I wouldn’t choose her brand now, but I would have before,” Charlene said.
Lisa, a furniture designer from Park Slope, dropped into Macy’s just to pick up some Nespresso coffee pods and was surprised to learn that the entire store had been targeted for a boycott, not just Trump-branded goods. But she agreed with the principle. “My little bit of money has power,” she said. “I’m just going to buy the Nespresso pods and leave.”
A version of this article appears in the February 20, 2017, print issue of Crain’s New York Business.
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