Kim Kardashian Boycott Has Retailers Watching
Sears as well as Kim Kardashian herself are keeping a close eye on the "No More Kardashian" petition and its Website, BoycottKim.com, according to reports.
The International Business Times reported that one of the individuals who helped start the movement, identified simply as 'Frank', said that a representative of the retailer told him Sears may need to reevaluate its marketing deal with the Kardashians if they begin to see a decrease in sales or if the number of petition signatures becomes too high. Sears carries a myriad of Kardashian merchandise including the family's clothing line, perfume and accessories.
"We were able to speak with a Sears executive by phone, although he needs to remain anonymous or it will cost him his job, and during that call he stated that Sears is paying attention, and would in fact 'reevaluate' their marketing, especially if they see a decrease in their overall sales or if the boycott petition reached 500,000 signatures," Frank told the International Business Times.
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The "No More Kardashian" petition has so far garnered close to 200,000 signatures.
In addition, he told the publication that that a source claiming to be close to Kardashian said that she "is furious with the boycott and checks the site and petition obsessively."
The movement began in early November when 41-year-old Colorado native Cyndy Snider started the "No More Kardashian" petition, asking the public to boycott all of E!'s Kardashian reality shows because they emphasize "greed" and "over-the-top consumption," among other things.
"We feel that these shows are mostly staged and place an emphasis on vanity, greed, promiscuity, vulgarity and over-the-top conspicuous consumption," she explained in a statement. "While some may have begun watching the spectacle as mindless entertainment or as a sort of 'reality satire,' it is a sad truth that many young people are looking up to this family and are modeling their appearance and behavior after them."
BoycottKim.com emerged soon after, which, among other things, asks the public not to shop at retailers that carry Kardashian products, such as Target and Walmart.
However, although the movement has garnered a substantial amount of support and signatures, the Kardashians may not have to worry just yet.
The Sunday premiere of the second season of Kourtney and Kim Take New York brought in 3.2 million viewers, nearly a 25 percent increase over the show’s first season premiere in Jan. 2011. In addition, E! said it was one of the network’s top ten highest rated telecasts ever among the 18 to 49 female demographic.
