AP Photo/Jenny Kane
Wayfair is facing calls for a boycott over furnishing migrant camps.
- Wayfair is catching customers' ire online.
- In a letter signed by more than 500 employees and sent to the company's leadership, workers said they learned of a $200,000 order from a government contractor that has been operating migrant detention centers, The Boston Globe reported.
- Customers are now posting on Twitter and the company's Facebook page that they are prepared to boycott.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
Wayfair is catching the internet's ire.
The company is catching online flack related to a letter penned by employees and sent to the company's senior leadership. In the letter, which was signed by more than 500 employees, workers said they learned of a $200,000 order for bedroom furnishings from a government contractor that has been operating migrant detention centers at the southern border.
Citing two anonymous employees, the Washington Post reported that Wayfair executives said they would fulfill the orders for beds and other items.
The existence of the letter, which was confirmed by Wayfair to The Boston Globe, was publicized by the @wayfairwalkout Twitter account. The account claimed that Wayfair employees would stage a walkout on Wednesday if the company did not donate the profits from the order to RAICES, a Texas-based charity dedicated to helping refugees and immigrants.
From there, Wayfair customers have picked up on the situation, and the result has been mostly negative for the company. Searching Wayfair on Twitter brings up almost exclusively negative sentiments about the company, while a quick scroll on the company's Facebook page shows mostly negative comments related to the situation.
"Wayfair - the Summer collection - or better known as Concentration Camp Chic!" wrote one customer on Wayfair's Facebook page.
"Ugh, just read this after making a purchase from Wayfair - for my 5 year old's room, no less," wrote another customer on Twitter, in response to @wayfairwalkout. "@wayfair this is important, I'm cancelling the order and won't buy from you anymore unless this is addressed."
Even Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez weighed in on the situation on Twitter.
"Wayfair workers couldn't stomach they were making beds to cage children," she wrote. "This is what solidarity looks like - a reminder that everyday people have real power, as long as we're brave enough to use it."
A representative for Wayfair did not respond to Business Insider's request for comment.
If you are a Wayfair employee and have a story to share, reach out to retail@businessinsider.com.
I'm done shopping from @Wayfair unless they want to change their policy on furnishing concentration camps. pic.twitter.com/dUUAxpz1sD
- Melissa Duclos (@MelissaDuclos) June 25, 2019