Following a tweet from President Donald Trump blasting Nordstrom for cutting his daughter’s apparel line, Charlotte-based Belk said it will keep selling Ivanka Trump’s merchandise at its 22 flagship stores, though the brand is no longer available on its website.
Days after Trump’s line disappeared from the websites of Belk and other retailers, the company issued a statement thanking customers who had expressed their views about the brand. Several who reached out to the Observer this week voiced frustration about the move, which they saw as politically motivated.
“We welcome and pay close attention to feedback from our customers. We continually review our assortment and the performance of the brands we carry. We make adjustments as part of our normal course of business operations,” the retailer said in a statement posted Wednesday.
“In this regard, we are no longer carrying Ivanka Trump branded merchandise on our website, but are continuing to offer the brand at our flagship stores,” the company said.
Belk operates 22 flagship stores, including the one at SouthPark mall. These locations are about 160,000 square feet or larger, meet minimum volume requirements and have a product assortment that reflects “the best of Belk,” the retailer has said.
At Belk in SouthPark this week, an employee said Trump’s dresses “sell fantastically.”
Following the disappearance of Trump merchandise from Belk’s website, one shopper emailed the Observer to say she planned to “cut up” her Belk credit card over the matter.
Seattle-based Nordstrom last week announced plans to cut Trump’s brand, citing sluggish sales. Others including Neiman Marcus soon followed suit.
In a tweet Wednesday, Trump said his daughter “has been treated so unfairly by @Nordstrom.” The retailer’s shares, however, closed up 4 percent at $44.53.
An Ivanka Trump representative said last week that the brand is expanding and saw “significant” revenue growth last year, according to the Associated Press. Ivanka Trump has said she would take a leave of absence from her clothing and accessories business as well as the Trump organization.
My daughter Ivanka has been treated so unfairly by @Nordstrom. She is a great person — always pushing me to do the right thing! Terrible!
Katherine Peralta: 704-358-5079, @katieperalta
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