Following news that Nordstrom would drop Ivanka Trump's clothing line due to declining sales, President Trump tweeted Wednesday that the department store has treated her "so unfairly."
A spokesperson for Nordstrom previously told BuzzFeed News the brand was cut due to lagging sales, saying the company carries “thousands of brands” and makes “buying decisions based on performance.”
“Each year we cut about 10% and refresh our assortment with about the same amount,” a Nordstrom spokesperson told BuzzFeed News. “In this case, based on the brand’s performance we’ve decided not to buy it for this season.”
On Wednesday, a Nordstrom spokesperson reiterated that the decision was based on declining sales, adding that Ivanka Trump had been informed of the move in early January.
"To reiterate what we've already shared when asked, we made this decision based on performance," a company spokesperson told BuzzFeed News. "Over the past year and particularly in the last half of 2016, sales of the brand have steadily declined to the point where it didn't make good business sense for us to continue with the line for now.
"We've had a great relationship with the Ivanka Trump team. We've had open conversations with them over the past year to share what we've seen and Ivanka was personally informed of our decision in early January," the spokesperson said.
At a press conference on Wednesday, White House press secretary Sean Spicer called Nordstrom's decision an "attack" and said Trump had "every right as a father" to defend his family.
Spicer rejected Nordstrom's statement that the decision was based on brand performance, saying it was a "direct attack" on Trump's policies.
The brand's removal from Nordstrom follows efforts by the #GrabYourWallet campaign to boycott businesses from which the Trump family profits.
Nordstrom isn't the only store that has recently cut the first daughter's collection.
A spokesperson for Ivanka Trump's collection previously told BuzzFeed News that Nordstrom had already purchased spring apparel from the brand and would move inventory to their physical stores.
“The Ivanka Trump brand continues to expand across categories and distribution with increased customer support, leading us to experience significant year-over-year revenue growth in 2016,” Rosemary K. Young, the brand’s senior director of marketing, told BuzzFeed News.
“We believe that the strength of a brand is measured not only by the profits it generates, but the integrity it maintains. The women behind the brand represent a diverse group of professionals and we are proud to say that the Ivanka Trump brand continues to embody the principles upon which it was founded. It is a company built to inspire women with solution-oriented offerings, created to celebrate and service the many aspects of their lives,” she said.