This Christmas, Unity's Best Friend: Retailers

"I never met a customer I didn't like." may be a funny quip, but this season, it may be providential for national unity. We're hearing daily that the racial hatred drumbeat is getting louder. The country needs someone on the other side speaking for racial tolerance and unity. That someone may be retail.

Marketplace recently noticed that some retail sales were drastically down after the election  - down to 25% of pre-election numbers.

Maybe this is temporary, but if it impacts Black Friday, then it could easily wipe out the 3.4% gain that the NRF predicted.

With all these neo-Nazis running around yelling, "Go home!", and half (!) of retail's customers being "minorities", what is retail to do?

Clearly retail needs to get the word out that minorities are welcome at their stores. They need to make it crystal clear that the stores will protect and welcome them.

Remember: Right now the minorities don't know who their friends are. They assume that the other half of the country voted for their deportation. It would be welcome news to hear the weighty opinion of the gargantuan American capitalist system give its blessing to the "minority" shoppers.

Would the stores simply be doing this because of the potential sales? Doesn't that mean that they don't truly - in the bottom of their jingling hearts - love each and every person?

Sure, but a convenient friend is still a friend.