Justice

Major Dubai Department Store Just Stopped Carrying Trump Products

December 10th 2015

After proposing "a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States" this week, businessman and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump faced fierce political backlash on a global scale. But now, the repercussions are hitting closer to home for the business mogul.

VICE News reports that Landmark Group, a Dubai-based holding company that operates a chain of retail stores called Lifestyle, said it would no longer carry a line of Trump items in stores across the Gulf.

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The company's CEO, Sachin Mundhwa, said the decision was based solely on the candidate's controversial policy statements.

"In light of the recent statements made by the presidential candidate in the U.S. media, we have suspended sale of all products from the Trump Home décor range," he said in a statement.

Trump Home branded products, luxury furnishing items, would be discontinued at over 160 Lifestyle stores across the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar.

Trump Home GalleryTrump Home By Dorya - trumphomebydorya.com

"As one of the most popular home decor brands in the Middle East, Lifestyle values and respects the sentiments of all its customers," Mundhwa said.

Lifestyle's decision is so far stand-alone among other Middle Eastern businesses affiliated with Trump. But if the reaction is replicated in other places in the region, it could eventually eat into the candidate's bottom line. As VICE News notes, the candidate's main revenue stream is tied up in golf courses and other luxury developments, real estate, and retail items.

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Trump also has stake in companies like Dubai's DAMAC Properties, which is behind projects that include a Trump International Golf Course situated in a development described as "the Beverly Hills of Dubai." Other companies like Al Tayer Group, also in the U.A.E., have opened galleries featuring Trump Home's luxury goods, and the businessman's hotels pepper the region.

Trump International Golf ClubTrump International Golf Club - trumpgolfdubai.com

Some, like DAMAC Properties, have drawn a line between their business relationships and political beliefs, when it comes to Trump's recent statements on Muslims.

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"We would like to stress that our agreement is with the Trump Organisation [sic] as one of the premium golf course operators in the world and as such we would not comment further on Mr. Trump's personal or political agenda, nor comment on the internal American political debate scene," the company's senior vice president said in a statement.

In an apparent reversal on Thursday, however, the company removed the Trump name from its logos, Reuters reported

Still, Lifestyle's sweeping decision, paired with sentiment expressed by members of the Islamic faith (and those who are not) around the globe, could potentially bode poorly for the candidate, in the region. NBC News, citing campaign finance disclosure forms, reported that the revenue from one Trump International Hotel & Tower in the Azerbaijani capital of Baku at one point brought in $2.5 million in management fees, though the actual operation of the hotel is something of a mystery. Other royalties from Trump Towers in Istanbul, Turkey, brought in anywhere from $1 to $5 million in licensing fees.

Trump's comments have gotten him in business trouble before. In August, Macy's announced it would drop Trump menswear from its stores following disparaging remarks the candidate made about Mexican immigrants. The company said it would not carry any product associated with political candidates. In June, NBC also announced it would no longer broadcast Trump's beauty pageants, citing the remarks.

Update: this post has been updated to reflect that Donald Trump's name was removed from a golf course in a development in Dubai. 

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