American consumers aren’t stupid (well, most of us at least). While corporate boardrooms spent years chasing social media approval and progressive accolades, ordinary shoppers simply wanted quality products at fair prices. Nobody asked for lectures about building “inclusive communities.” Nobody requested guidance on dismantling perceived barriers. People wanted a jacket that kept them warm and boots that lasted more than a season. Apparently, that was too much to ask.

The pattern has become impossible to ignore. Company after company discovers that customers reward value, not virtue signaling. When businesses pivot from serving their customer base to sermonizing at them, the market responds without mercy. Now, another once-beloved American brand has joined the growing list of cautionary tales.

From The Post Millennial:

The retail company Eddie Bauer is expected to close all of its stores in North America as its parent company, Catalyst Brands, prepares to file for bankruptcy. The filing is expected to result in the closure of Eddie Bauer’s roughly 180 locations across the US and Canada… The announcement of its closure has reignited conversation about its history of promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. In 2020, the retailer launched All Outside, a DEI campaign aimed at increasing representation in outdoor hobbies.

The outdoor apparel retailer, once synonymous with rugged American adventure, will shutter every single one of its approximately 180 stores across the United States and Canada. For anyone who watched Eddie Bauer’s transformation over the past several years, this news lands with grim predictability. Surprising? Hardly.

A Brand Loses Its Way

Eddie Bauer didn’t stumble into bankruptcy by accident. Leadership made deliberate choices about where to focus energy and resources. In 2020, rather than doubling down on product quality or customer service, executives launched “All Outside”—a DEI campaign designed to increase “representation” in outdoor activities. Because nothing sells parkas like identity politics.

The company’s vice president of marketing, Kristen Elliot, explained the thinking at the time. “We looked for people who are actively breaking down barriers, people providing opportunities for underrepresented groups,” she told Outside Online. Notice the priority shift. The mission transformed from outfitting Americans for outdoor adventures to social engineering. Jacket company becomes activist organization. What could go wrong?

By 2021, Eddie Bauer’s website featured content instructing customers on how to improve their happiness by “building an inclusive community.” The page encouraged shoppers to seek out communities different from their own and remain “open-minded.” Last time I checked, I visit clothing retailers for fleece pullovers. Not therapy.

Then there’s former President Damien Huang. He reportedly signaled his progressive credentials by publicly discussing his reading of Ibram Kendi—the controversial “anti-racist” author whose philosophy has faced increasing scrutiny and rejection across the country. Bold choice for someone running an outdoor apparel company in middle America. The message from leadership couldn’t have been clearer: ideology trumped everything else.

The Market Delivers Its Verdict

Anti-DEI activist Robby Starbuck, who has built a reputation for exposing corporate wokeness, connected the dots without mincing words.

“Eddie Bauer went all in on wokeness and DEI under their former President Damien Huang,” Starbuck wrote on X. “He even gave an interview to virtue signal that he reads Ibram Kendi. Just a few years later, now they’re broke and closing all their stores. Another brand killed by the rise of wokeness.”

Hard to argue with the math. A company launches aggressive DEI initiatives in 2020, continues pushing progressive messaging through 2021, and finds itself facing total liquidation just a few years later. While corporate executives collected praise from activist circles, actual customers—the people who keep the lights on—quietly walked out the door. Turns out Twitter applause doesn’t pay the electric bill.

This isn’t an isolated incident either. American consumers, particularly those who remember when companies focused on commerce rather than causes, have grown weary of corporate reeducation programs. They’ve responded the only way the market allows: by spending their money elsewhere. Simple as that.

The free market remains the most honest feedback mechanism ever devised. It doesn’t care about press releases or social media campaigns. It measures one thing: whether customers find enough value to open their wallets. Eddie Bauer forgot that fundamental truth. Now, 180 stores will pay the price.

Maybe the next company tempted to prioritize wokeness over customers will glance at Eddie Bauer’s empty storefronts and think twice. Then again, some lessons only bankruptcy can teach.

Key Takeaways

• Eddie Bauer launched aggressive DEI campaigns in 2020 and now faces complete store closures across North America.
• Company leadership prioritized progressive activism and virtue signaling over serving actual customers.
• American consumers continue rejecting corporations that lecture rather than deliver quality products.
• The free market remains the ultimate accountability mechanism for woke corporate overreach.

Sources: The Post Millennial