Walmart and Target Thought It Was a Good Idea to Sell Nazi Costume

Walmart has pulled a Nazi costume from its inventory after facing a typhoon of public blowback.

The outfit was made by Orion Costumes and marketed as a “German Army Soldier Adult Costume” that included a jacket, trousers, attached boots, a belt, and a hat. The outfit was also sold by other major retailers, including Amazon and Target.

Walmart initially sold the fit as a “vintage-themed” costume inspired by 1940s military gear, but its source material was obvious: One advert of the high-collared grey garb photoshopped the model in front of a German flag.

By Thursday morning, the costume had been stripped from all three companies’ respective websites without explanation.

The New Republic reached out to Walmart, Target, and Amazon asking why the item had been removed, as well as why the item was listed in the first place. The companies did not respond to the request by the time of publication.

It’s not the only egregious inventory decision made in the run-up to the Halloween season. Last month, Target faced another round of backlash for selling what customers described as a racist caricature inspired by Jim Crow–era minstrels. The marketing images for the outfit featured a Black child model, further incensing critics who argued the company was perpetrating wildly harmful symbols that were historically used to justify racial discrimination and violence.

Target issued an apology after pulling the costume from its shelves, claiming that they were “deeply sorry” that they “got this wrong.”

“We know this is especially hurtful for our Black guests, team members and partners,” the statement read. “Removing the costume is an important first step, and the company is looking closely at how this happened and what needs to change to ensure this won’t happen again.”