Retailers like JCPenney and Macys would much rather not get into politics. They want everyone from MAGA to Marxists to shop at their stores.
But Trump's tariffs on Chinese goods hurt their bottom line so badly, the CEOs of these companies have been forced to talk about Trump forcefully and directly. In a letter to trade officials, JCPenney said:
"For goodness sakes, a tax on Christmas ornaments? One wouldn't think the Administration would seek to emulate the Grinch, who left little Cindy-Lou Who with walls devoid of ornaments and 'nothing but hooks and some wire."
“Families who shop at Macy’s should not be required to face potential tax increases on back-to-school shoes, sweaters and pullovers for the fall, or, for that matter, on baby clothes,” the firm wrote. “It is hard enough for new parents to make ends meet while changing diapers and surviving on a few hours of sleep. Is it really a good idea to impose new taxes on baby clothes?”
JCPenney, meanwhile, called out a “striking” and “disproportionate impact” of the proposed List 4 tariffs on women.
“JCPenney’s core customer is a working, middle-class adult female who shops for her family on a household income marginally higher than the U.S. median income level,” JCPenney stated. “She can’t afford tax increases on back-to-school shoes for her family, on raincoats or on curtains for the home — or, for that matter, on Christmas ornaments.”
And with WalMart and Dollar Tree joining the chorus, there's no doubt Trump voters will feel the pinch.
