Walmart removed a Christmas sweater on Monday from its Canadian website that portrayed Santa Clause as a fan of “grade A, Colombian snow.”
The sweaters, advertised as “Men’s Let it Snow Ugly Christmas Sweater,” had been sold by a third-party seller on the website of the company’s Canada division, a spokesman said in a statement.
They “do not represent Walmart Canada’s values and have no place on our website,” the statement said, adding: “We apologize for any unintended offense this may have caused.”
The sweater depicts “jolly old St. Nick” sitting on a couch in front of a table with three white lines. The product description said it “captures that moment when Santa is finally ready to enjoy that sweet, imported snow.”
Walmart has gotten into trouble before over third parties selling apparel on its website.
Last year, the company removed a baby onesie calling for the impeachment of President Donald Trump after it triggered calls for a boycott.
In 2017, the company apologized over a backlash to an ad for a hair extension wig cap that used a racial slur.