Donald Trump Merchandise Superstore Closed After 90% Monthly Sales Plunge, Owner Says

A Trump merchandise superstore outside Knoxville, Tennessee, has closed after its owner said monthly sales had fallen from $200,000 (£150,000) to $20,000 (£15,000).

The figures, supplied by owner Bill Hays, represent a 90% decline. Hays told NPR that the store, which opened in April 2024, drew a queue of about 80 people on one busy day.

Hays, 80, said demand changed after Donald Trump's inauguration, with more customers asking for bags rather than putting on their purchases immediately.

Trump Merchandise Store Sales Fell

Hays said his Tennessee shop reached $200,000 (£150,000) in monthly sales when business was strong. He said sales had declined to $20,000 (£15,000) a month by the time the store closed.

'After the inauguration, I think a lot of people felt that their job was done,' Hays told NPR. 'They didn't have to promote MAGA or Trump.'

'People were not wearing their colors, so to speak, like they did before the (2024) election,' he said.

Hays also said policies he viewed as unpopular, including DOGE's government staff cuts, had affected sales. That reflects his assessment of the business rather than an independently established cause of the decline.

In August, Hays told Slate the store was closing for 'lack of business', disputing reports that he was retiring or moving to Florida, Newsweek reported.

MAGA Retailers Reduce Older Stock

At least four specialist Trump merchandise stores have closed this year. Fortune counted at least three independent ones, in Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Tennessee.

MAGA Mall, an online retailer and wholesaler, said sales of MAGA gear were 30% lower than in a presidential election year when Trump was on the ballot, NPR reported. Its president, Ronald Solomon, told Fortune that rallies had renewed demand for MAGA and Trump 2028 hats, but that his MAGA product sales in recent months were down 34% from 2024. He attributed the decline to 2026 being a midterm year.

A Bensalem, Pennsylvania, store closed earlier this year, although it continues to sell merchandise online. During its closing-down sale, 'Trump Won' caps were priced at $9.99 (£7.49), while Trump pool floats sold for $19.99 (£14.99).

Wes Alker, a retired auto mechanic and Trump supporter who visited the Bensalem shop, said Trump had 'peaked' as a business opportunity for entrepreneurs. His comment was a personal view, not evidence of a national shift in political support.

Hays Waits on Christmas Trade

Solomon said about 20 stores specialising in Trump merchandise remain in operation. Retailers have broadened their ranges with patriotic products, including 'We the People' hats, as they prepare for a market less dependent on Trump-branded products.

In Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, retailer Rick Kligman is clearing older items through $9.99 (£7.49) grab bags containing $40 (£30) worth of merchandise. He told Fortune that his Trump-branded sales had fallen 39% from 2024 levels. He told NPR he was concerned that a Democratic sweep of the House and Senate could turn off more casual Trump customers, leaving him with unsold stock.

Hays still owns a Trump store in the tourist town of Gatlinburg, Tennessee, and told NPR he is waiting to see how Christmas sales go before deciding its future. No closure decision has been announced for that outlet.

The 90% sales decline relates solely to Hays's independently owned Tennessee shop and reflects figures he supplied. It shows how one retailer's campaign-era boom gave way to lower demand, without establishing the scale or cause of any wider change in Trump consumer support.