Donald Trump had a prediction after retailers dumped the Trump brand over incendiary comments in 2015. “They’ll all be back,” he said.
They’ve stayed away.
Trump’s unexpected political victory has done little to boost a licensing business that at its peak had deals with the likes of department store Macy’s Inc., apparel purveyor PVH Corp. and mattress maker Serta Simmons Bedding LLC.
There’s only a smattering of items left for sale, often leftover inventory offered at reduced prices through discount shopping sites. Companies that had deals with “The Apprentice” star or still sell Trump merchandise were almost unanimous in their refusal to talk about it when contacted by Bloomberg News.
In one case, Overstock.com Inc. said it mistakenly had a few Trump items for sale, including a single 40-long men’s suit for $189, and removed them after Bloomberg inquired. The online discounter joined a lengthy list of companies severing its relationship with the brand when candidate Trump ridiculed Senator John McCain for being a prisoner of war in North Vietnam and said Mexico was sending its rapists to the U.S.
‘Racially Colored’
“I took Donald Trump’s products off our site over 18 months ago as a result of the way he spoke of John McCain’s service as well as the racially colored language he used when announcing his candidacy,” Overstock Chief Executive Officer Patrick Byrne said in an e-mailed statement. “We have revisited this decision from 2015 and stand by it. The products to which you are referring recently slipped through our filter.”
Ivanka Trump’s brand has taken a hit, too, but not nearly as severe as her father’s, even as both labels remain the focus of online boycotts. Her wares have vanished from chains such as Nordstrom Inc. and Neiman Marcus Group but remain in others, including Overstock. Licensees such as G-III Apparel Group Ltd. have also stuck by her. Her father lost licensees like PVH and Serta.
The Trump Organization, which oversees the president’s business empire, declined to answer questions about the Donald Trump brand, which also has included dress shirts, eyewear, fragrance, deodorant, lamps and wall mirrors. The company has not announced the signing of any new licenses since March 2015, and that deal is indicative of where the brand stands.
‘Success by Trump’