Tennessee Trump Store Closes, Slashing Merchandise 50% After Shoppers Vanish

Q: What new business venture is the owner secretly planning for this recognizable I-40 property?

There is no confirmed public disclosure of a specific new venture yet. The reporting only establishes that owner William “Bill” Hays does not plan to sell the recognizable I-40 property and intends to reuse it for another money-making business. In the sourced material, Hays is quoted as saying the site “is not going down in value” and that he plans to launch another venture there because “it’s all about making money.” So, despite the question’s wording, there is no verified evidence in the provided reporting that Hays is “secretly planning” any particular type of business. The most accurate answer is that he has said he will repurpose the property for some future commercial use, but he has not publicly identified what that business will be.

3 articles · Updated · The Independent · Aug 15

A large Trump-only merchandise store off Interstate 40 near Knoxville is shutting down and liquidating its remaining stock at a 50% discount.
Owner Bill Hays told Slate the closure is due to a lack of customers, rejecting a local report that said he was retiring and moving south.
An employee said traffic has faded as Trump's popularity has "dwindled" and shoppers are squeezed by tariffs, high gas prices and basic household bills.
The store once drew 86 people on its busiest day and saw spikes after the July 2024 attempt on Trump and other major pro-Trump news moments.
The closure contrasts with Trump's broader merchandise machine: his online store reportedly took in $8 million in 2024, while watchdogs counted 600 new products in his first 14 months back in office.