Sears does not officially support Nazis or neo-Nazis — but you could have gotten that impression if you searched “swastika ring” on its website Monday.
Image source: screengrab via Sears.com
A screenshot of Sears.com as it appeared Monday, Oct. 13, 2014.
The retail giant is under fire for hawking a piece of jewelry emblazoned with the symbol of Adolf Hitler’s murderous regime.
“This gothic jewelry item in particular features a swastika ring that’s made of .925 Thai silver,” the item’s description read, according to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. “These jewelry items are going to make you look beautiful at your next dinner date.”
It seems the person writing the description was aware of the swastika’s historical association, for the description included the attempted disclaimer, “Not for Neo-Nazi or any Nazi implication.”
The item was listed under the “men’s punk rock style” jewelry collection before Sears removed it, saying it was created by a third-party vendor and assuring that it did not meet Sears’ marketplace guidelines.
The company said the vendor was “being reviewed.”
The ring had been removed from Sears’ website as of Tuesday morning, though part of the page could still be seen through Google cache.
Sears’ misstep comes less than two months after Spanish clothing retailer Zara yanked a children’s top that strongly resembled the striped uniforms of Jewish concentration camp prisoners —complete with what looked like a yellow Star of David.Ad