A Halloween costume marketed as a World War II-era German soldier outfit has sparked criticism online after shoppers discovered it had been sold by Target, Walmart and Amazon. The costume, made by Orion Costumes and sold as a "German Army Soldier Adult Costume," appears to have been removed from Target and Amazon's websites following complaints on social media. As of Tuesday morning, however, the product remained available for purchase through Walmart.
Critics have argued that the gray military-style uniform evokes Germany's armed forces during World War II and should not be marketed as a Halloween costume. Others have questioned why the product was available through some of the country's largest retailers. Newsweek has reached out to Walmart, Target, Amazon and Orion Costumes for comment.
The costume previously appeared on the websites of Walmart, Amazon and Target. While Target has since taken down the listing, evidence of its previous availability remained visible through Google. The search engine continued to display Target-hosted product imagery and a preview for the retailer's "German Army Soldier Adult Costume" listing, even after the product page itself began returning an unavailable-item message, while the Amazon listing appears to have been removed.
Walmart, however, continued to list the costume for sale on Tuesday. It is not clear when Target and Amazon stopped offering the item or whether either company removed it in response to customer complaints. According to Walmart's listing, the outfit is sold as an "Orion Costumes German Army Soldier Adult Costume" and is described as a vintage-themed costume inspired by the 1940s.
The product includes a jacket, trousers with attached boot covers, a belt and a hat. The description does not reference Nazi Germany, Adolf Hitler or the Nazi Party. Instead, it markets the outfit as a historical military-themed costume suitable for Halloween parties and dress-up events.
The costume gained attention after social media users shared screenshots of the retailer listings and called for them to be removed. One Threads user described the outfit as inappropriate because of its resemblance to German military uniforms associated with World War II, while several other commenters urged shoppers to boycott retailers carrying the product. Others questioned how it had been approved for sale in the first place.
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