Why Some Wegmans Shoppers Are Boycotting the Beloved Grocery Store

Wegmans is currently facing criticism from a faction of its shoppers due to the fact that the nation's favorite grocery store has continued to sell President Donald Trump's namesake wine. According to The Washington Post, several left-leaning groups are attempting to organize a boycott in an effort to pressure the chain to stop selling Trump Winery products.

In Charlottesville, VA, where the wine is produced, there's even an entire political action group dedicated to taking down Trump Winery. The group is bluntly titled Stop Trump Wine. In addition, members of the National Organization For Women have spoken out against Wegmans. Approximately 300 members of the organization's Prince William County chapter plan on boycotting Wegmans until it stops selling the wine.

On the flip side, the president's supporters appear to be stocking up on the wine. The Richmond Times-Dispatch reported that the wine was completely sold out at two Wegmans locations in the area, and eight other locations in Virginia are also close to completely selling out.

In an interview, the chain's vice president of media relations, Jo Natale, said the store will continue to stock Trump Winery products until it has an economic reason to do otherwise. "Our role as a retailer is to offer choice to our customers," she said. Adding, "Individual shoppers who feel strongly about an issue can demonstrate their convictions by refusing to buy a product. When enough people do the same, and sales of a product drop precipitously, we stop selling that product in favor of one that's in greater demand."

Natale also noted that Wegmans began selling wine from that specific winery in 2008, before it was acquired by Trump in 2011. Shortly thereafter, Trump handed the winery off to his son Eric.