5 Kardashian Businesses That Tanked
Through the years, the Kardashians have relied on their family fame to market a variety of products. Although much of the marketing mind can be attributed to the mother, Kris Jenner, the Kardashian sisters and their other sisters and brothers have managed to build an empire composed of just about everything you can think of.
Not all of these business ventures succeeded, however, proving that it's not really enough to stick the Kardashian name to any product to make it sell.
1. The Kardashian Kard
The debit card was linked to the popular TV show "Keeping Up With The Kardashians," which teenagers and other young fans of the sisters availed of. However, the very high fees costing around $100 a year was too much for many holders to maintain. Further fees were charged for withdrawals via ATM, contacting support and cancelling the card. According to Reuters, the debit card was ultimately cancelled.
2. Rob Kardashian's sock business
The expensive sock line tagged "Arthur George by Rob Kardashian" retailed at $30 per pair and featured designs like graffiti, swirls and camouflage among others. These were available at Neiman Marcus, a luxury store. However, sales in all 41 branches were quite weak.
3. QuickTrim weight loss
Kim Kardashian endorsed the diet plan in 2010, saying that she shed several pounds using it. However, the three sisters were soon sued for making false, misleading and unsubstantiated claims, according to US News. According to the law firm that sued them, there was no reliable scientific evidence that showed that the products actually worked, let alone the fact that the sisters were truly using the powdered drink mixes and pills.
4. Skechers Shape-Ups
The sneaker company used Kim Kardashian to endorse their new footwear which claimed to help people lose fat and get the killer curves that the star is known for. Not soon afterwards, Skechers paid $40 million to settle misleading claims once again.
5. Pastelle by Kanye West
Kim's new husband, and technically now a 'Kardashian,' was very effective in marketing a number of brands. However, his clothing line Pastelle tanked very quickly. Some speculated that the rapper never had enough time to realize his design plans in the line.
Despite several business failures, the Kardashians remained resilient as all successful businesspeople are by getting into more deals and continuing to depend on their fame and bankable appearance. Kardashian Inc. raked in $65 million in 2010 after working with various brands and partnering with famous designers and TV producers. When Kim, Khloe or other members of the family attend an event or product launch, they net anywhere between $100,000 and $250,000 a night. ShoeDazzle, a shoe business has been doing well and "Keeping Up With The Kardashians" has been one of the most successful shows on E! Kim also has a jewelry and perfume line which sold really well.