Public Relations

Target Pulls Some LGBTQ+ Products Following Customer Backlash
May 24, 2023 at 1:36 pm

Target is pulling some items from its Pride Collection off shelves following customer backlash, the company said Wednesday. Its LGBTQ+ products, launched at the beginning of May in acknowledgement of Pride Month in June, included more than 2,000 products, according to CNN. The items include clothing, accessories, mugs, shoes, books, pet accessories, and calendars. Target didn't…

Adidas to Sell Yeezy Shoes and Donate Proceeds to Charity
May 11, 2023 at 6:21 pm

After months wrestling over the fate of milions of unsold Yeezy shoes, Adidas has decided to sell a portion of its remaining inventory and donate the proceeds to charitable organizations, CEO of the German sportbrand Bjørn Gulden said Thursday. Adidas cut ties with Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West, in late October, following his…

A 6-Step Pandemic Response Marketing Strategy
May 19, 2020 at 1:16 pm

How are you coping with the economic setback that’s affected all of us during the COVID-19 outbreak? Have you changed your business model or altered your marketing strategy? If you’re not sure what to do, follow these six steps and you’ll be on your way to keeping your business rolling throughout these challenges: 1. Develop…

Zappos Draws Criticism for Data Breach Settlement
October 21, 2019 at 12:49 pm

Zappos customers who had their data stolen in a 2012 data breach will receive only a meager 10 percent discount to use on the online footwear and apparel retailer's website, as part of a proposed class-action lawsuit settlement. Their lawyers, on the other hand, are set to receive $1,620,000 in attorneys’ fees and other legal…

Inclusivity and Retail: The Importance of Retailers Truly Understanding the Body Positivity Movement
September 27, 2019 at 12:27 pm

As younger generations strive towards a more inclusive culture, they're still met with the overwhelming compulsion to fixate over their body image. One study found that over 60 percent of millennials prioritize the perfect body over career advancement, and another from Yahoo Health found that only one in seven Americans actually feel “body positive.” Retailers…

Wayfair Employees Stage Walkout Over Company's Sales to Border Camps
June 28, 2019 at 10:45 am

Hundreds of engineers, product managers, and visual artists employed at the online housewares giant Wayfair streamed out of their sleek offices and into Copley Square in Boston on Wednesday, gathering with hundreds more to protest the company’s sale of furniture to the operators of facilities that detain migrant children along the southern border. The protesters spread…

Sephora to Close All US Stores for Inclusion and Diversity Training on June 5
May 30, 2019 at 11:41 am

Sephora will be closing all of its stores in the U.S. for "inclusion workshops" on Wed., June 5. In a post on Sephora's Facebook page, the beauty retailer announced that on the morning of June 5, "every Sephora store, distribution center, and corporate office in the U.S. will close to host inclusion workshops for our…

Patagonia Endorses Pair of Political Candidates
October 26, 2018 at 2:30 pm

Patagonia is taking a political stand. The outdoor goods and apparel store threw its weight behind two Democratic candidates: Jacky Rosen, who is running for Senate in Nevada, and Senator Jon Tester who is running for re-election in Montana. It's the first time Patagonia has made political endorsements. In a statement on Friday, the company…

Social Media Reacts to Nike's Colin Kaepernick Ad
September 5, 2018 at 1:09 pm

Yesterday, Nike debuted its new ad featuring former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who made headlines in the last year when he started kneeling for the national anthem in 2016 as a way to protest social inequalities. Ad Age reports a tweet shows the former San Francisco 49er staring straight ahead with the following copy beneath his eyes: "Believe…

Tips for Retailers in Handling a PR Crisis
July 27, 2018 at 8:07 am

In this episode of Retail Right Now, Total Retail's Caitlin Sullivan and Joe Keenan review what steps retailers can take in the midst of a PR crisis, in light of Build-A-Bear Workshop's Pay Your Age promotion blunder.