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Walmart has infuriated shoppers by selling offensive and politically charged items on its website several times over the years, and it reveals a massive problem plaguing the industry
Walmart has infuriated shoppers by selling offensive and politically charged items on its website several times over the years, and it reveals a massive problem plaguing the industry
The clothing is made by a third-party seller, Old Glory, and is sold through Walmart Marketplace on the retailer's website..
Walmart has been forced to remove controversial third-party sellers' items from the site in the past, including a shirt that encouraged lynching journalists, a "Got retard?" mug, and a Halloween costume featuring suicide scars.
Walmart is under fire for selling an anti-Trump shirt - and it is far from the first time that the retailer has faced backlash for items available on its website.
The company is currently facing boycott threats for selling shirts and a onesie with the inscription "Impeach 45," a call to have President Donald Trump impeached. The clothing is made by a third-party seller, Old Glory, and is being sold through Walmart Marketplace, the retailer's website that features items made by other companies.
Walmart sells millions of items through Marketplace. While Walmart has certain rules that third-party sellers need to follow, this isn't the first time an offensive or politically charged item has slipped through the cracks and led to backlash.
And, Walmart isn't the only retailer facing similar issues. Amazon and other companies that sell items from third-party retailers are forced to sift through a massive amount of inventory and try to enforce certain standards.
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Here are some of the biggest scandals that Walmart has faced thanks to third-party sellers on its website:
Ryan Fournier, the chairman of Students for Trump, tweeted about the clothing on Monday. Fournier tweeted: ".@walmart why are you selling Impeach 45 baby clothes on your website????? What kind of message are you trying to send?"
Fournier's tweet helped spark a wave of backlash against Walmart. Walmart's social media accounts have been bombarded with threats of boycott from Trump supporters.
The shirt was offered through third-party seller Teespring, which removed the shirt from its site for a second time after first doing so in 2016. A spokesperson for Walmart said the shirt "clearly violates our policy," and said the company would review the other Teespring merchandise listed on its site.
"Bulletproof: Black Lives Matter" apparel
Walmart pulled a shirt and hoodie with the slogan "Bulletproof: Black Lives Matter," made by Old Glory, from its online store in December 2016.
The removal came after the national president of the Fraternal Order of Police wrote a public letter to Walmart calling out its Marketplace site for selling merchandise that promotes the Black Lives Matter movement, which organizes protests across the US to draw attention to racism and police brutality.
"Like other online retailers, we have a marketplace with millions of items offered by third parties that includes Blue Lives Matter, Black Lives Matter and All Lives Matter merchandise," Walmart said in a statement. "After hearing concerns from customers, we are removing the specific item with the 'bulletproof' reference."
"I'd Rather Be Snorting Cocaine Off a Hooker's A--" slogan T-shirt
In 2016, Walmart removed a number of t-shirts with offensive slogans, including one that read "I'd Rather Be Snorting Cocaine Off Of A Hookers A--," Mashable reported. The t-shirts were from the third-party seller Hollywood Thread.
Walmart told Mashable that the shirts violated the company's policies, and that they would be removed.
Walmart removed a mug that said "got retard?" on it after a number of shoppers complained in 2016, CNBC reported.
"This item violated our policy and we quickly removed it," the company said on Twitter. "It's unacceptable for a seller put it on our Marketplace."
"Suicide Scar" Halloween costume
The retailer pulled a "razor blade suicide scar wound latex costume make up" kit in October 2016, ABC7 reported.
"This costume is appalling and it was unacceptable for a third-party seller to list it on our marketplace," Walmart said in a statement. "It clearly violated our prohibited items policy and we removed it when it was brought to our attention."
