Lowe's: The anti-Muslim neighbor on Bayshore

12.13.11 - 3:57 pm | Tim Redmond |

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I don't shop at Lowe's. Don't go to Home Depot or Wal-Mart (those folks have enough money as it is), either. I don't like big-box retail in general, and I was opposed to bringing a big-box, out-of-state chain to build a store on Bayshore Boulevard. I think shopping local and spending your money with small merchants who are part of the community is good for the economy.

But thanks to lobbyist Jack Davis, who was hired at some vast sum of money to bring Home Depot to San Francisco, and then-Mayor Willie Brown, who bought Davis's line, Home Depot won permission to build on Bayshore -- and when the Georgia-based company decided not to bother and left the site vacant, Lowe's (based in North Carolinia) stepped in.

And now we know what an excellent neighbor the giant retail outlet has turned out to be. Lowe's has decided to pull its ads from the Discovery Channel's All-American Muslim show because some right-wing Christian nut-group objects to anything that doesn't demonize the Islamic religion and all who follow it.

What a fine, upstanding company to welcome to San Francisco.

Comments

I doubt that Lowes is anti-moslem or anti any religion.

I doubt they ever think about it, not should they.

But they do care about their customer profile which, given their suburban and rural locations, will be conservative and christian.

So I don't blame them form being "discriminating" about where to spend their ad dollars any more than I blame escorts and hookers from choosing to advertize in SFBG.

Posted by Guest on Dec. 13, 2011 @ 4:14 pm

that doesn't matter.

In response to the post previous, I don't think Lowe's is bigoted either. That doesn't change the fact that they pulled ads based on religious bigotry. Pulling ads itself is an endorsement of that that type of thinking. Florida Family Association wanted to hurt the show and Lowe's was complicit in that.

They based their decision on the dollar. That doesn't make it any way excusable to reason that it's simply because "others" are bigoted that Lowe's compromises on it's own beliefs of tolerance. It still make them an guilty by being an enabler.

Posted by savvy on Dec. 13, 2011 @ 5:43 pm

Lowes is following its marketplace dictates

Ones I happen to disagree with. The people on that show are Americans - they are not terrorists nor are they foreigners. They're Americans who happen to be a different religion than many Americans. That doesn't make them bad or unAmerican.

But isn't there a cognitive dissonance involved in condemning Lowes for doing what its market demands - and then attempting to use the market to harm Lowes?

Posted by Guest on Dec. 13, 2011 @ 5:54 pm

lowes decision

I am an American Muslim, and I understand that Lowes decision was business-based (hopefully). But the fact of the matter was that Lowes did not live up to their values and principles of being an inclusive company. Look, if they felt that it was in their best business interest to stop advertising on that show, they should have made such decision without giving the reason to why they made that decision. I think someone at Lowes made an extremely poor decision. Let me put it this way, if I was Lowes' CEO, the employee who made that decision may be in the market looking for another job.

I had always chosen to shop at Lowes for many years. I respected that chain, and I always thought they treated their customers in a good way. But now I don't feel right to continue to shop there. I can't help it to think that I am not welcomed there anymore.

Posted by Guest on Dec. 13, 2011 @ 7:09 pm

Anyone who has to wear

Anyone who has to wear special, magical religious clothing is suspect in my book, be they Christian, Muslim, Mormon or Jew like me.

Would that Lowes shunned all who hear mystical voices that tell them what kind of magical clothes to wear.

Posted by marcos on Dec. 14, 2011 @ 8:02 am

Lowes can spend their ad budget any way they want.

It's not anybody else's business.

Posted by Guest on Dec. 14, 2011 @ 8:28 am

Lowes can spend their ad budget any way they want.

You may have difficulties becoming a successful business person. You are absolutely correct that it is Lowes' business where and how to spend their advertising money. According to the stuff they taught us in college, the main business driver behind spending money on ads is to attract potential shoppers and generate bigger profits. And yes, thank God for the free market system, shoppers have the right to shop wherever and however they want. Does that make sense?

Posted by Guest on Dec. 14, 2011 @ 9:20 am

I'm glad you agree. The targeting of specific demographics

is routine in marketing circles. Personally I shop at Lowes because there isn't a Home Depot close to me, which I'd probably prefer.

But their politics are of no concern to me and shouldn't be to anyone els.e

Posted by Guest on Dec. 14, 2011 @ 10:57 am

http://www.washingtonpost.com

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/post/turning-up-the-heat-o...

Posted by Guest on Dec. 14, 2011 @ 10:28 am