Costco pulls Palmetto Cheese from 120 stores after owner calls BLM 'terror organization'

Costco is a business that relies on diverse middle class suburban people spending their money there vs Wal Mart or Target. Diverse suburban middle class people do care about black lives and racial injustice as polling shows over and over again, and the past few elections have shown a dramatic shift in these issues in the suburbs.

Costco is making a business decision to retain good PR within their customer base.

I would also assume that with these type of vendor relationships, there's probably more than meets the eye with Palmetto and Costco. Those relationships can get strained and there could be conflicts we don't know about.

Either way though, I wouldn't read too much into it. It's a business decision and probably the right one given Costco's target market.

 

Buy that **** at Sam's then.

Less bleeding hearts who gives a **** about others and only about making deals...

 

My respect for Costco just increased.

 

This fallout and backpeddling is hilarious.

Consequences.

Erica Chayes Wida
Tue, September 22, 2020, 10:34 AM CDT·5 mins read


Costco recently removed a popular pimento cheese brand from 120 of its stores after the owner called the Black Lives Matter movement a "terror organization" on his public Facebook.

In reaction to the murder of two local residents, Brian Henry, founder of Palmetto Cheese and mayor of Pawleys Island, South Carolina, took to Facebook on Aug. 25 with a message many residents considered to be racist in nature. Although the post has since been deleted, screenshots circulated social media calling on customers to #BoycottPalmetto.

"I am sickened by the senseless killings in Georgetown last night. 2 [sic] innocent people murdered. Not 2 thugs or people wanted on multiple warrants. 2 white people defenselessly gunned down by a black man," Henry wrote. "So why do we stand by and allow BLM to lawlessly destroy great American cities and threaten their citizens on a daily basis ... this has gone on too long. Rise up America. This BLM and Antifa movement must be treated like the terror organizations they are."

According to the Georgetown County Sheriff's Office, the man Henry spoke of, 23-year-old Ty Sheem Ha Sheem Walters III, was arrested on Aug. 24 for shooting three people and killing two — 21-year-old Laura Anderson and her step-father, Nick Wall — during an altercation following a car accident that day in Georgetown, South Carolina.

Following Henry's statement against Black Lives Matter, Costco removed the product from 120 of its stores. A corporate spokesperson declined to comment to TODAY. However, the Post and Courier, which broke the story, obtained a photo of a sign from Costco in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina that specified the cheese was "discontinued" and would "not be re-ordered." Henry also confirmed to the Post and Courier that his product was in the process of being removed from shelves.

"Over 120 Costco's [sic] throughout the US are no longer carrying this item," the sign read.


Courtesy of the Post and Courier
Many have spoken out in support of Black Lives Matter on social media and asked others to #BoycottPalmetto at their local grocery stores. The Georgetown, South Carolina NAACP branch president Marvin Neal called for Henry's resignation as mayor.

"When two White people were allegedly killed by a Black man in Georgetown, SC, Mayor Brian Henry of the neighboring town of Pawley’s Island Beach had the opportunity to bring citizens closer together. He instead chose to use his platform to cause further racial divide and controversy by venting his frustrations on social media," Neal told TODAY Food.

Henry was unreachable for comment Tuesday, but on Sept. 3, the mayor issued an apology for the Facebook post at a press conference at the Pawleys Island Sea View Inn, which Henry and his wife, Sassy, own and operate. He did not address the NAACP's call for his mayoral resignation, but did ask that people consider the hundreds of South Carolina workers Palmetto employs before boycotting the brand.

“I am profoundly sorry to those I offended with my post last week. My comments were hurtful and insensitive,” Henry said at the conference in a prepared statement. "I spent that past 10 days listening and learning. The conversations I’ve had with friends, our staff, the community and faith-based leaders provided me with a deeper understanding of racial inequality and the importance of diversity sensitivity, which is very much needed to heal Pawleys Island, Georgetown and our country."

 

Free market corrections. I heard libertarians love this stuff.

 

The CEO should get fired. If you do something like that and cost your business millions of dollars in revenue and one of your biggest partners?

 

I find it interesting that in American culture, it's very poor taste to flaunt your money or tell others what to do because of it.

Except when you're a CEO or "self made". Then you feel entitled enough to loudly and proudly crop dust your way to the elevator and expect the people inside to hold the door for you.

 

Like sports, Businesses would best be served staying out of politics.
In my small yet prosperous business, I serve both liberals, and conservatives equally and I kinda think that’s how it should be ..

also there is approximately 540 Costco stores. Does this mean there is selective outrage depending on the market area?

 

"Cancel culture" like this is a way of limiting free speech. Limiting free speech is a huge step away from democracy. Restricting second amendment rights is a huge step away from democracy. What do liberals plan to do such that they want us to be disarmed and unable to speak freely? Makes you wonder. Freedom loving Americans should at all times reject Cancel Culture. Free speech means all speech.

 

This is market corrections you sick commie.

 

Costco changes products all the time. This might even be a coincidence they are trying to get points with. Not sure where the outrage is supposedly coming from. Are there riots over this?

 

No more likely market analysts that work for Costco figuring out this would hurt their bottom line.

I think the quick apology from the CEO right after Costco pulled his predict suggests that this was the intent of stopping sales of the product rather than it just being something that was already in the books.

 

Your posts are no longer available at Costco.

 

When will people learn that Twitter and Facebook posts can bite you in the ass?

Costco is a business that made a business decision.

People are free to make Twitter and Facebook posts all they want. But, they need to understand that Their comments may have consequences.

 

3 points having little to do with this very important story:

1) Pimento cheese is horrible

2) Pawleys Island Hammocks are the best you can buy. I recommend the Presidential model.

3) Costco is a pretty awesome store

 

Good we need more consequences for actions.

DD

 

idiots always get caught slippin on FB...my advice would be to just stfu and stay the hell off social media before u say something stupid