Retailers Taking on Political Issues 

We polled our consumer panel to find out what sort of impact a retailer or brand's politics can have on where they put their money.

You can probably recall a few key moments for businesses when they took a political side publicly. Remember when John Mackey of Whole Foods stirred consumers up when he made statements about Obamacare being a form of facism? And how about when Chic-Fil-A took a conservative position on LGBQT issues? 

More recently, Coca-Cola took a stance on Trump’s Muslim ban, and more than two dozen businesses ran full page ads protesting Trump’s position on the Paris Agreement. 

But the country’s most controversial political issue in years may be the recent events in Charlottesville. Walmart made very well known their disappointment with the President on this issue. 

We polled our consumer panel to find out what sort of impact a retailer or brand's politics can have on where they put their money. We asked them one question, “Is your decision to support a food company or retailer affected by their public stance (endorsement or opposition) on President Trump’s recent comments on the Charlottesville events?”

Sixty-three percent of our panel answered “yes” to this question showing that a majority are paying attention to how their retailers and food makers publicly respond to political issues. But still thirty-four percent answered “no” while three percent remain undecided. 

While our current administration is one of the most controversial in history, retailers and brands may want to spend a little more time in the boardroom thinking through their political choices and how their customers will respond.