After word got out that Nordstrom would no longer stock Ivanka Trump’s line of clothes, shoes and jewelry, the online campaign #GrabYourWallet quickly claimed a victory in its efforts to encourage boycotts of outlets that carry Trump family products. President Donald Trump, his press secretary and his special counselor were quick to respond, accusing the retailer of targeting the first daughter for political reasons. The backlash prompted Nordstrom to publicly declare that the reasons for the change were strictly economic, not political: Ivanka’s brand wasn’t selling.
To New York’s fashion insiders, that was hardly surprising. “In women’s contemporary, people are fickle,” said Sucharita Mulpuru, chief strategist for retail conference organizer Shoptalk. “You’re competing with specialty retailers, like Ann Taylor and Gap, the department stores, Amazon, outlets, and opening price points at Coach and Kate Spade.”
Ivanka is certainly not alone when it comes to sluggish sales, as many big-name department stores, brands and retailers are suffering from a lack of demand. “Most of the celerity engagements fail over a short period of time because there isn’t anything behind them but a name,” said Mark Cohen, director of retail studies at Columbia Business School.
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And Nordstrom, which reported a 63% dip in online sales of Ivanka’s wares in the fourth quarter of 2016, wasn’t the only retailer to experience declines. Ivanka’s two other major online retailers, Amazon and Zappos, saw dips of 31% and 43%, respectively.
Of course, it likely doesn’t help Ivanka’s brand that her father’s campaign rhetoric and policies have been so divisive. “Her father ran for office and created an extremely polarizing campaign,” Cohen said. “She may be suffering the backlash.”
After word got out that Nordstrom would no longer stock Ivanka Trump’s line of clothes, shoes and jewelry, the online campaign #GrabYourWallet quickly claimed a victory in its efforts to encourage boycotts of outlets that carry Trump family products. President Donald Trump, his press secretary and his special counselor were quick to respond, accusing the retailer of targeting the first daughter for political reasons. The backlash prompted Nordstrom to publicly declare that the reasons for the change were strictly economic, not political: Ivanka’s brand wasn’t selling.
To New York’s fashion insiders, that was hardly surprising. “In women’s contemporary, people are fickle,” said Sucharita Mulpuru, chief strategist for retail conference organizer Shoptalk. “You’re competing with specialty retailers, like Ann Taylor and Gap, the department stores, Amazon, outlets, and opening price points at Coach and Kate Spade.”
Ivanka is certainly not alone when it comes to sluggish sales, as many big-name department stores, brands and retailers are suffering from a lack of demand. “Most of the celerity engagements fail over a short period of time because there isn’t anything behind them but a name,” said Mark Cohen, director of retail studies at Columbia Business School.
And Nordstrom, which reported a 63% dip in online sales of Ivanka’s wares in the fourth quarter of 2016, wasn’t the only retailer to experience declines. Ivanka’s two other major online retailers, Amazon and Zappos, saw dips of 31% and 43%, respectively.
Of course, it likely doesn’t help Ivanka’s brand that her father’s campaign rhetoric and policies have been so divisive. “Her father ran for office and created an extremely polarizing campaign,” Cohen said. “She may be suffering the backlash.”
A version of this article appears in the February 13, 2017, print issue of Crain’s New York Business.
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