Antique store shuts down over swastika controversy

LITTLETON, N.H. — A boutique shop in Littleton, New Hampshire, shut down indefinitely after a post on social media led to threats and harassment, the store's owner said in a Facebook post.

Chic & Unique sold antiques, vintage items and other collectibles, including a "Lucky Flour" branded bag from Federal Milling Company. The bag included a swastika as part of its label, an image that a shopper recently took issue with.

The store's owner explained to the shopper that the antique, which she said was manufactured in the early 1900s, features what was then simply a symbol of good luck in several cultures.

The shopper, Katherine Ferrier, posted on Facebook about her conversation with Chic & Unique's owner, writing that the swastika "is a blatantly racist and super charged symbol, now more than ever."

"I'm shocked and bummed out that you think it's an appropriate thing to hang in your store," she wrote.

Ferrier's post sparked a robust conversation on Facebook, and apparently prompted backlash against the store's owner.

"The hate messages and threats have become unbearable for me and I am fearful to return to my shop. The shop will be closed until further notice," a post made Saturday on the Chic & Unique Facebook account said.

Cox Media Group