MyPillow auction necessary as stores drop product, Mike Lindell says
Kate PerezUSA TODAY
A large amount of surplus industrial equipment from the company MyPillow is now up for auction online, including from the company's Minnesota factory.
The items are being auctioned off using K-BID Online Auctions and items include dock trucks, sewing machines, forklifts, boxes and more, according to the listing page. 824 items will be auctioned off and the event ends on July 18 at 7 p.m.
Mike Lindell, the MyPillow Chief Executive Officer, told Minnesota television station WCCO that the auction is a surplus auction that "is a reflection of the change from big box and mall store sales to a direct-to-consumer approach." Lindell said MyPillow in-store sales were canceled by retailers such as Walmart and Bed, Bath & Beyond.
Additionally, Lindell told the station that some employees had to move job roles to avoid being laid off, and that MyPillow "has made a number of adjustments."
"I do every customer like my only customer and every employee like my only employee," he told WCCO.
Lindell told WCCO that Menards, Fleet Farm, and some other stores continue to carry the MyPillow products.
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The company was impacted by Lindell's backing of former President Donald Trump's election fraud claims, for which he is currently fighting off a $1.3 billion defamation lawsuit.
Lindell has previously said that MyPillow lost $100 million after his election fraud claims, WCCO reported. His company also lost an arbitration case in April related to election fraud claims, leading to his company, Lindell LLC, being ordered to pay $5 million.
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On Monday, Lindell went live on Facebook where he talked about the auction, saying it comes after retailers "abandoned" MyPillow.
"What are we supposed to do, everybody? Just paperweights there? No, we are auctioning it off," Lindell said during the live stream. "Before they did this to MyPillow, we were so big that we needed like four times of the equipment we had right now to make retail packaging, to make the retail pillows. So my guys said, 'Hey, can we get rid of some of this stuff, and sublease part of that building?' Which we said, 'Fine.'"
Lindell and the MyPillow company did not immediately respond to USA TODAY's request for comment on the auction.
Kate Perez covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. You can reach her at kperez@gannett.com or on Twitter @katecperez_.
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It's interesting to know that it just isn't 'woke' businesses hurting from jumping into political shit matches. Hmmmm.... It seems that maybe Mike still doesn't know what he's talking about at any given time either.
Bed, Bath & Beyond went bankrupt and was bought by Overstock.com. They are no retail spaces for BB&B. Also for those following at home -
Whether they carry will MyPillow online I have no clue, nor do I care one way or the other.
Same happened to Pier 1.
Here Tuesday Morning shut down as well.
Brick and mortar stores are a hard sell these days.
He did it himself. He cared more about getting political than his own business.
Is there a Go-Stuff-Yourself site for donations?
One has to wonder what he thought was going to happen?
It’s mind-boggling to watch this guy destroy himself and the business he built.
I always felt sorry for his employees. Watching him sabotage himself and wondering how long their jobs will last.
... not the first time he's done it. he'll be back to sucking on the crackpipe soon...
you reap what you sow Mr Lindell
I’m sure that Lindell will be fine, it’s his workforce that’s hurt.
Lindell got to close to Trump. I suspect he believed there was a payoff for his Trump allegiance. He was wrong--should have known it. It was Donald J. Trump after all.
Feel sorry for his employess. Assume Lindell paid into state's unemployment fund so they can be eligible.
Wonder what kind of employer he was? What was the general atmosphere in the workplace? Did he have 'litmus tests' for employment?
I couldn’t work for Mike Lindell and live with myself.
Maybe they all don’t have the same options as you.
The economic situations for some force them into employments that are less than desirable.
This is one of the best examples of someone living in a fantasy reality. I would not be surprised if he were diagnosed with a mental disorder.