Conservative Alternative to Amazon Growing ‘Exponentially’ as Customers Ditch Woke Companies, Says PublicSq CEO

Boxes ready to be delivered during Cyber Monday at the Amazon fulfilment center in Robbinsville Township, N.J., on Nov. 28, 2022. Eduardo Munoz/Reuters

PublicSq, the conservative Amazon alternative that promises to connect “freedom-loving Americans” with businesses that align with their values, has been gaining traction among consumers seeking an alternative to the Jeff Bezos-owned online retailer, according to its CEO.

“It has grown exponentially,” the San Diego-based company’s CEO and founder Michael Seifert told Fox News on April 17.

“The nation was hungry for this. We are addressing the largest unaddressed market in the world, which is patriotic, traditionally valued, constitution-loving America,” Seifert continued, adding that he considers himself “part of this market.”

Seifert said he felt like major corporate entities in the United States have for years turned against his own values, pointing to Nike, Starbucks, Target, and, most recently, Bud Light, whose parent company Anheuser-Busch lost up to $6.5 billion in stock value after partnering with transgender social media influencer Dylan Mulvaney, a biological male.

The move also led to customers boycotting the brand—a move that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Mike Crispi, the former Republican New Jersey primary candidate for Congress, have backed.

“There are so many entities that, for whatever reason, decided to cater to messaging that only attracts 10 percent of the country when there’s a massive cohort of 100-plus million Americans feeling like their values have been left in the dust,” Seifert said.

Customers Ditching ‘Woke’

He added that PublicSq’s core values “speak to the fundamental principles that made this country so special in the first place” and that customers using the platform won’t be “lectured” on politics or gender ideology, as is the case with many companies that have become increasingly “woke” or moved to embrace environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investment strategies in recent years

PublicSq launched as an app in October 2021, before going nationwide 10 months ago. In February, the online marketplace announced it was merging with shell company Colombier Acquisition Corp. to go public at the end of the third quarter.

PublicSq’s board of directors includes Siefert; Blake Master, Arizona’s GOP nominee for U.S. Senate in 2022 and entrepreneur and investor; Nick Ayers, a leading public policy and business strategist; and Omeed Malik, founder and CEO of boutique investment bank Farvahar Partners.

According to its official website, the alternative online marketplace is “Pro-Life, Pro-Family, Pro-Freedom,” while a February press release stated that the company has more than 450,000 active members and more than 40,000 businesses on its platform from multiple industries.

While speaking to Fox earlier in March, Seifert said the fact that PublicSq exists “highlights the reality that corporate America has lost sight and touch with what the American people are looking for.”

Bud Parent Company Addresses Transgender Backlash

Seifert’s comments come as Anheuser-Busch attempts to move on following the recent backlash surrounding its advertisement campaign with Mulvaney.

Last week, the company released a new patriotic Budweiser advert featuring its signature Clydesdale horse mascot, the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., and the Grand Canyon in Arizona, as well as people raising an American flag.

During the one-minute advertisement, a narrator declares: “This is a story bigger than beer. This is the story of the American spirit.”

Elsewhere, the brewing company’s CEO, Brendan Whitworth, issued a statement on Friday that it “never intended to be a part of a discussion that divides people.”

“We are in the business of bringing people together over a beer,” Whitworth said. “I am responsible for ensuring every consumer feels proud of the beer we brew. My time serving this country taught me the importance of accountability and the values upon which America was founded: freedom, hard work, and respect for one another.”

While the CEO stopped short of issuing an apology to its long-time customers who were angered by the partnership, Whitworth said he was focused on “building and protecting” the company’s long history and heritage and vowed to “continue to work tirelessly to bring great beers to consumers across our nation.”