Jenny Powers
I visited a Donald Trump Superstore called Keep on Trumpin’ in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
Co-owner Richard Kligman said business has been booming since he opened the shop in March 2022.
The space was filled to the brim with everything from graphic T-shirts to talking Trump figurines.
When I was in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, I spotted a billboard advertising a Donald Trump Superstore. My curiosity got the best of me, and I decided to stop in and pay a visit.
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I turned into the parking lot and was greeted by a series of colorful pro-Trump flags and an air dancer in the former president’s likeness, wildly waving its arms at oncoming traffic.
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Bookended between Klig’s Kites and a restaurant called “Goodfellas Seafood Hut” sits the brick-and-mortar Trump store Keep on Trumpin’.
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The jam-packed storefront features an animatronic mannequin of Trump waving a “Let’s Go Brandon” flag at passersby.
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As I snapped a photo of the mannequin, one customer walked by, chanting: “Let’s Go, Brandon.”
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In order to access the store, you have to go through the main entrance of Klig’s Kites, a retail shop selling kites, banners, and flags.
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Once inside, I notice Klig’s and Keep on Trumpin’ are under the same roof.
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However, the space is separated into two distinct parts, with the latter taking up approximately 2,000 square feet of retail space.
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Kligman said the first location of their kite shop opened in 1982 in Myrtle Beach.
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Today, they have two locations — one at Broadway on the Beach in Myrtle Beach and the newest one that opened seven years ago in North Myrtle Beach near Barefoot Landing.
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Klig’s sold merchandise representing both political parties, but the Trump items always outsold the rest.
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Based on customer demand, Klig’s eventually created an entire aisle dedicated to Trump merchandise.
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Then, in March 2022, when one of their retail tenants vacated and they were unable to find a suitable tenant as a replacement, Kligman approached his brother with a wild idea.
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Why not open a Trump store?
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Kligman told Insider that he’s not trying to make a political statement with his store.
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He said, at the end of the day, he’s a businessman and that there are some things about Trump he likes and some things he doesn’t.
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One thing he definitely likes is the increased foot traffic his business has seen since opening.
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Today, the store sells more than 10,000 items.
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The inventory ranges from officially licensed merchandise and vendor products to their own manufactured line of goods.
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The merchandise is priced between $1.99 and $69.
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When customers try to talk politics, Kligman says he just smiles and rings up their purchase at the register.
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The Kligmans produce many of the T-shirts they sell, such as …
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… this Top Gun shirt …
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… this Keep on Trumping’ T-shirt …
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… this Terminator-themed “I’ll be back” tee …
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… and this remake of American Gothic.
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There are also shirts that take a not-so-subtle stab at the Democratic Party, such as this “stolen property” one …
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… and this “Donkeypox” T-shirt …
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… and a “Bye-Bye, Biden” countdown clock.
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The shop also sells a staggering number of novelty products, like this Trump teddy bear.
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There was also a vast assortment of bobbleheads …
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… including this shirtless boxing Trump one.
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They also have unusual souvenirs such as rubber duckies and troll dolls featuring Trump’s signature coif.
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Customers can also snap up talking items such as a pen that, with the push of a button, promises to belt out some of Trump’s popular sayings in his own voice …
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… or this full-body figure with the American flag that when activated says a series of 17 patriotic comments including “From this day forward, it’s only going to be America first.”
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I was surprised to see that they even offer a Trump toilet brush.
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According to a saleswoman I spoke to, one of the biggest hits so far has been the Donald Trump Garden Gnome, which she says people often buy as gifts.
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For those interested in their future, customers can feed $1 into the Trump Fortune Telling Machine on the premises.
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Inside the machine is an animatronic version of the nation’s 45th President of the United States that doles out a printed fortune with his likeness on it.
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Kligman said sales-wise, he and his brother could easily turn their whole business into a Trump store. Based on the enthusiastic shoppers I encountered during my visit, I believe it.
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As a registered Democrat, I was the only one who seemed to walk out of the store empty-handed; however my curiosity as to what a Trump Superstore might be like was certainly filled.
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And while Richard Kligman himself probably wouldn’t say much about a Trump 2024 run, his products certainly will.
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Read the original article on Business Insider