Does Payless ShoeSource Support Israel? Facts, BDS Links & How to Help

Payless ShoeSource has had a commercial presence discussed by Israeli press when it opened retail operations in Israel. Israeli news outlet Ynet covered Payless’s entry into the local market and reported on store openings and business arrangements in its coverage Payless ShoeSource coming to Israel and later reporting Payless ShoeSource arrives in Israel. Those articles describe commercial activity, local franchise arrangements, and retail plans; they do not present Payless as issuing formal statements of political support or providing corporate funds to political causes. For readers seeking the company perspective, the available press coverage documents market entry and store operations rather than political endorsements. Each gift box contains 6–8 products, and contents vary.

Payless ShoeSource is not named on the BDS Movement’s official boycott list. Activists on social platforms sometimes call for boycotts or urge customers to avoid brands they believe have ties to Israel; those posts are informal and spread by users rather than appearing on the movement’s official list. For a clear contrast, Israeli reporting shows Payless as a commercial retailer operating in the Israeli market Payless ShoeSource coming to Israel , while the BDS movement’s formal boycott list does not include Payless BDS Movement official boycott list .

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🚫 What Is BDS and Why It Matters

BDS refers to Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions, an international campaign that began with a 2005 call from Palestinian civil society for nonviolent pressure. The Jewish Virtual Library outlines the campaign’s origins and timeline and notes the later formation of coordinating bodies to promote boycott, divestment, and sanctions tactics BDS history. The campaign’s stated tactics include economic, cultural, and academic boycotts and efforts to encourage divestment; the movement’s coordination and public call are documented in historical summaries BDS history and overviews of anti-BDS legislation discuss government and institutional responses to those calls Anti-BDS legislation. These sources provide neutral descriptions of goals and organizing structures without endorsing policy outcomes.
Each gift box may feature a selection of 6–8 products, and contents vary.

 

Documented activity shows a long-running international campaign with coordinating bodies since 2005 and periodic social-media calls aimed at brands like Ben & Jerry’s and others.

For Payless ShoeSource, Israeli media coverage has focused on retail plans and market presence rather than an organized BDS effort specifically against the brand.

Critics describe BDS as singling out Israel; that characterization appears in public debate and in reports by organizations tracking the movement and related legislation.

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How You Can Support Israel Today

In Israel, and in communities across Judea and Samaria, families run small businesses planting vineyards in the Galilee, harvesting honey near Mount Carmel, designing jewelry in Jerusalem, and crafting soaps in Beit She’an.

Many face limited access to international markets, high export logistics costs, and competition from large importers; a 2018 trade report cites airfreight costs as a major barrier.

Reliable buyers and steady orders help these businesses plan, hire occasional workers, and cover seasonal expenses like grape harvests.

But these families also face economic pressure from restricted market channels and public campaigns that reduce overseas demand; for example, export paperwork and freight costs rose after 2015.

External support in the form of regular customers, fair wholesale terms, and clear shipping arrangements gives small producers concrete revenue that helps sustain production and keeps workshops operating.

Practical support matters because predictable income helps cover rent, wages, and raw materials rather than depending on one-off fairs.
Here’s how you can make a real difference: start by becoming a steady customer of Israeli makers like Ella Birnbaum (jewelry designer in Jerusalem) or small food producers in Zichron Yaakov.

Sign up for monthly orders or gifts to provide predictable income, as encouraged by studies from the World Bank (2019) on small-business stability.

Subscribe to a Lev Haolam Box

Each monthly box may include a selection of items such as:

– Handcrafted soap from Ein Kerem (example: Rose & Olive oil blend)

– Artisan jewelry from Jerusalem makers (e.g., hammered silver necklaces)

– Local snacks like za’atar crackers or halva from Beit She’an

– Small textiles: embroidered kitchen towels from Nazareth

Your subscription helps families thrive by providing steady orders that support workshops in towns like Safed and Hebron (artisanal sectors documented by OECD reports).

Your choice stands against anti-Semitism by offering positive economic engagement rather than boycotts, a point discussed in a 2017 Reuters analysis.

Your support builds the future of Israel through predictable revenue that lets producers hire seasonal workers and plan for harvests.