The concept of “voting with your dollars” is nothing new, but Americans are using their wallets to make a political splash with renewed fervor since President Donald Trump’s second term began.
On Feb. 28, millions of consumers participated in an “economic blackout” inspired by the organization People’s Union USA. Shoppers were asked to refrain from buying fast food, gas, or products from mega-retailers like Walmart, Amazon, and Best Buy. Some consumers took the opportunity to specifically avoid companies that have rolled back DEI initiatives, while others made the mission as simple as “Shop local and use cash.”
The purpose of it all? People’s Union USA called the blackout “a symbolic start to economic resistance, a day where we show corporations and politicians that we control the economy.” With divisive political actions like President Trump’s latest tariffs, worries about how the Department of Government Efficiency will impact services like Social Security, and plans for cutting healthcare for the poorest Americans to fund tax cuts for the richest, those who participated did so in hopes of hurting the bottom line of major companies who support policies (and politicians) that help the wealthy and hurt the average citizen.
How effective was the Feb. 28 economic blackout?
So did shoppers’ restraint make any difference? Numbers from analytics firm Momentum Commerce (as reported by Forbes) show that while Amazon sales turned out to be “a bit softer from the average Friday” during the peak hours of Feb. 28, Jeff Bezos’s behemoth retailer ended the day with about 1 percent more sales than on the eight Fridays prior.
The digital marketing company Similarweb, however, did find that overall web traffic to the 100 most popular online shopping sites was down 6 percent on Feb. 28 as compared to one year earlier and down 4 percent compared to the previous Friday. “There was a slight impact year over year,” a Similarweb analyst told USA Today. “I wouldn’t necessarily call it a huge impact, since negative 6 percent is not unheard of, but it is still a weakness.”
One of the retailers that saw a traffic drop was Target, which has been prominently criticized for rolling back its DEI policies. As compared to Feb. 14, on Feb. 28 the company saw visitors to its website fall by 9 percent, while traffic on its app dropped by 14 percent. And things could get worse from here: a 40-day Target boycott, which was spearheaded by Atlanta pastor Jamal Bryant, began on March 5. “We’re asking people to divest from Target because they have turned their back on our community,” Bryant said.
And that’s far from the only boycott planned for the very near future. Another economic blackout is scheduled for March 28, and activists are pushing retailer-specific boycotts, too, like a call for not shopping on Amazon between March 7 and 14. See a list of all the upcoming economic boycotts right here.
With so much consternation about what it means to support a particular retailer in today’s political climate, we turned to an informed group to take their temperature on it all: the well-informed readers of our daily newsletter. Below, find out which companies these consumers are targeting, where they’re shopping instead, and why they feel so passionately about taking action.
How are Wake-Up Call readers changing their shopping habits to vote with their dollars?
“I participated in the boycott and continue to refrain from shopping at Walmart, Lowe’s, Home Depot, McDonald’s, and Hobby Lobby. I have given up Coca Cola products. Rather than ordering things on Amazon, I am looking for other sources. I hope the recent stock market losses will wake up corporations to the damage being done to America’s economy by the current administration’s reckless executive orders and tariffs.” – Heather G.
“I am a gay married man with queer children. I want to ‘vote with my dollars’ by shopping retailers who support DEI. I was happy for Costco’s and Apple’s continued support of DEI and disheartened by Target’s and Amazon’s rollback on DEI policies — thus, we have decided to not shop at these retailers. We ended our retail subscriptions through Amazon. We also have media streaming subscriptions through Amazon that we intend to eventually purchase directly from the streaming services vendors. It just takes time to make the change.” – Roger S.
“Before I read anything about the boycotts, I decided to minimize my relationship with Amazon. I was disappointed by Jeff Bezos’s responses to Washington Post editorials both before and after the election. I renewed my library card and started using their app for digital and audio books. Prior to this I was purchasing two to three books on Kindle regularly, as well as subscribing to Audible. I know this won’t break Jeff, but I feel it’s something that I can do.” – Susan S.
“I’m avoiding Walmart, Amazon, Target, Publix, and Home Depot — and using the Goods That Unite Us app to determine retailers who support ethical politics. Rethinking my Kindle addiction and Amazon Prime subscription. Cancelled WaPo. Developing a curated news feed composed of newsletters and Substack authors with varying opinions directed towards a news-centric email account I have created. No longer watching news. Off all social media except BlueSky. Using my money and spending patterns to leverage my power.” – Jeanne J.
“The blackout happened on our 55th wedding anniversary, and we always celebrate on that day — until this year. Stayed home and did not spend money at restaurant or buy anything. We plan to support the two-week Amazon ban as well, and anything that can impact corporate America to take stop supporting this insane, immoral president.” – Susan U.
“I no longer shop at Target. Cancelled my RedCard and told them why. If they don’t believe in diversity, equity, and inclusion, I won’t be buying from them. I stopped shopping at Walmart years ago because of how they treat their employees (lack of benefits and fair compensation). Instead, I am buying more from Costco.” – Nancy S.
“I’ve tried as much as possible to order my goods directly from the vendor. I was pleasantly surprised to find that my regular coffee supply was actually cheaper from the vendor than from Amazon, and they didn’t charge for shipping!” – Jeanne S.
“I’m in the affluent group that surveys say are still spending despite many Americans struggling, so I’m trying to change my habits to only buy things that I or my family needs — everything from clothes to a new car. Really dialing back my purchases on Amazon and going in person to Costco instead. Americans have so much and we really buy too much stuff! And I am very guilty of this waste.” – Sherry H.
“I have started purchasing dog food through Chewy, which is a Democrat-affiliated business. I have not purchased from Amazon for a good three weeks and will continue to do so. Holding my funds in place.” – Jolene H.
“We’ve stopped watching CBS Mornings with Gayle King since her recent announcement of affiliation with SpaceX. During these scary times, we feel that it’s imperative to do whatever we can to make our voices heard and fight for our democracy.” – Anne D.
“Wouldn’t buy a Tesla if you paid me. Love Sheryl Crow!” – Kitty S.
“I am Canadian, and I will try as hard as possible to cut as many American products from my roster. I was already avoiding Amazon, Walmart, Twitter, and Tesla before this Trump nonsense, but I’ll make a more-concerted effort to avoid as many American companies as possible. We will avoid American travel and go to the Caribbean, Mexico, and Europe instead. For now I’ll continue to tune in to Katie Couric Media, but if things really go sideways, I am prepared to cut off all my U.S. media.” – Cheri H.
“I participated in the boycott, and I plan to participate in the upcoming planned boycotts. I honestly don’t know what else to do when our country is in such a scary place. I am also making the 5 Calls as often as possible.” – Diane V.
“I’m trying to change. I’m considering dropping my Prime subscription — haven’t yet, but am trying to do basic purchasing elsewhere. Still use Facebook for news and information but refuse to click on ads and won’t purchase anything via a Facebook ad.” – Beth R.
“I’m Canadian. I’m definitely trying to buy less goods and food from the U.S. I’ve also decided to cancel our annual trip to drive to Florida next winter. We typically spend over $15,000 in the U.S. No more. Trump wants a fight with Canada, we will give him one.” – Liz P.
“I have decided to not buy from Amazon and support local business. I plan to use eBay for book purchases, along with the library. It’s a small change, but maybe others will do the same.” – Rhonda P.
“The positive turn of events from being very conscious of my purchasing power is using Etsy to support small businesses. A recent purchase of kites for my grandchildren led me to meet a most delightful British kite maker; we’re sharing thoughts on the state of events and their impact on his life in the UK. The nastiness of this administration, cabinet, and Trump’s cronies may be a challenge for a while, but light will follow this darkness. Goodness will prevail.” – Patti M.
