Aussie retailer removes MAGA hat from sale after backlash
The red 'Make America Great Again' cap was available on Big W Marketplace, where Aussies can shop items from third-party sellers online alongside the department store's in-house offerings. It was described as a 'Donald Trump party Costume Hat'.
The listing sparked reaction among online commenters when a screenshot of the divisive product was shared by activist Jeff Kissubi.
'Australian global retailer Big W selling MAGA Trump party costumes, as if Trump's policies haven't harmed real people in real life and to be profiting off oppression of others is wild,' Mr Kissubi captioned the clip.
A Big W spokesperson confirmed the item has been removed from sale.
'The item was listed for sale by a third party seller on Big W Market, it was not sold in Big W stores. It has now been removed from sale,' the spokesperson said.
There were some who called out the listing, asking why it was listed in the first place.
'Absolute filth,' one person commented.
One social media user wrote: ''Party hat' as if it's some ironic gag.'
'Looks like it's been removed from their site. It is appearing in Google searches but not on their site. Shame on you @bigwaustralia. Good job team,' another commented.
A screenshot of the item being sold was also shared to Reddit, with a number of people calling out the Marketplace platform for 'cheapening' the Big W brand.
Followers have also started commenting on the retailer's social media accounts, posting anti-Trump gifs and memes on recent Instagram reels shared by the retailer.
Previously, it has been reported that Big W regularly conducts product reviews to determine if items uploaded by third-party sellers align with the brand, as well as met health and safety standards.
Big W Marketplace isn't the only platform seen to be selling item such as this — MAGA costumes have started popping up on several Australian retailers in recent months.
It's not the first time that an item has fallen through the cracks when it comes to the third party platform. Last year, an at-home tattoo kit was available for $111. Due to the fact it was online, it meant there were no age requirement checks.
At the time, Big W assured customers that the item was 'not categorised correctly' and that 'no orders had been filled'.
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