Trump-branded retail outlets shutter as demand wanes during second term
Several brick-and-mortar Trump merchandise stores have closed this year as sales slump and the former president’s approval rating falls.
Trump-themed retail locations, which first appeared during the 2016 campaign, are disappearing as the former president serves his second and final term. The Bensalem, Pennsylvania store closed while still keeping an online presence, and Bill Hays’ Knoxville outlet fell from $200,000 a month in April 2024 to $20,000 by September. MAGA Mall, a major online wholesaler, says sales of MAGA merchandise are down 30% from election-year levels.
Owners attribute the slowdown to Trump’s reduced approval rating, his lame-duck status, and policies such as large government staff cuts. Some retailers, like Rick Kligman in Myrtle Beach, are liquidating older stock and diversifying into broader patriotic items. With only about 20 Trump-focused stores still operating, analysts expect the niche market to fade unless a family member revives the brand.
