A major international retailer’s efforts to advertise its fall clearance event as a “Remembrance Day” promotion is proving to be a tough sell for Canadians.
Eddie Bauer‘s week-long Remembrance Day sale, launched in stores across Canada on Friday, sparked protests from veterans who felt disrespected by the American clothing giant.
Civilians also cried foul on social media sites, lambasting the retailer for what they described as an “insensitive” approach.
Eddie Bauer announced the sale early Friday morning in an e-mail flyer promising up to 75% off fall merchandise.
Royal Canadian Legion director of communications Bob Butt said the veterans’ advocacy organization did not support the idea of putting a commercial spin on Remembrance Day, saying the day of commemoration was not meant to be treated as a holiday.
“The Royal Canadian Legion does not like the fact that he’s using Remembrance Day as a sales pitch,” Butt said of the company.
Word of the sale also drew sharp responses from users of Twitter.
The decision to promote a clearance sale as a remembrance event was likely rooted in a long-standing American retail tradition, experts said.
Elizabeth Evans, director of the School of Retail Management at Toronto’s Ryerson University, said Eddie Bauer has been holding successful “Veterans Day” sales in the U.S. for years.
It is hardly alone in doing so, she said, adding major retailers, including Macy’s, often run promotions to coincide with the U.S. equivalent of Remembrance Day.
Eddie Bauer’s latest Canadian strategy is likely an example of a company misreading the cultural differences between two markets, Evans said.
“This, in my estimation, is the type of thing that can happen when a foreign company makes an assumption that what works for them in one country will automatically resonate with the consumers in another country,” she said. “Probably they’re getting the reaction that would suggest that that’s not necessarily the case.”
