Many consumers nationwide plan to participate in a 24-hour economic blackout on Friday, which started after midnight, to protest what they call corporate greed, companies that have rolled back their diversity, equity and inclusion efforts and President Donald Trump’s efforts to eliminate federal DEI programs since taking office.
During Friday’s one-day event, consumers participating in the boycott are encouraged not to spend any money anywhere for one day. If they have to spend, they are encouraged to buy from a local business.
The 24-hour economic blackout is one of several protests launched by consumer groups, which also includes specific boycotts against Target by national activists upset with the retailer for its retreat from DEI efforts.
What is the Feb. 28 consumer blackout?
The organizer of the boycott, John Schwarz, goes by TheOneCalledJai on Instagram. He previously told USA TODAY he started the “bold” idea because the time was right and people are frustrated with what he calls corporate greed and other issues.
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The one-day action has since been expanded by The People’s Union, the organization Schwarz started. It includes boycotts of various companies and retailers during different time periods including Amazon (March 7-14), Nestle (March 21-28), Walmart (April 7-14) and a second broader one-day economic blackout on April 18, among others.
What other boycotts are planned?
Friday’s boycott is one of several planned by different groups. A national boycott of Target started Feb. 1 to coincide with Black History Month. It was launched by civil rights activists in Minneapolis who were upset that Target has rolled back its DEI programs. Another boycott that lasts through the end of the year was outlined on Instagram by comedian and actress Leslie Jones. It encourages consumers to buy directly from Black-owned businesses and outlines planned protests in certain months against Amazon, Target and Walmart.
Members of the the Black faith community also plan a 40-day fast or boycott of Target because of its retreat from DEI initiatives starting March 5. A website, targetfast.org, has been created with more information.
The Latino community has also been active on social media using the hashtag #LatinoFreeze, encouraging supporters to “hold your money” amid freezes on DEI initiatives, reduced funding for the National Institutes of Health and actions on immigration.
The movement encourages Latino Americans to shop only for essentials and to be thoughtful about where to buy with a focus on supporting “Latino American, Black American and Allied American Businesses that are supportive to this movement.”
The Rev. Al Sharpton and the National Action Network also have held a few “buy-cotts” to bring supporters to Costco to spend money in support of the company’s board of directors, which voted down an effort to drop DEI initiatives.
The National Action Network also said in a news release that it would lead “a strategic boycott in the next 90 days of two companies that have dropped their DEI commitments amid public pressure.” No details have been released.
Do boycotts work?
Boycotts can have mixed results.
Conservative activists have successfully rallied in recent years to force retailers and companies to rein in their DEI efforts by staging boycotts to hurt sales.
Professors have told USA TODAY that boycotts can be successful in shaming a company into reversing decisions or taking action, but they don’t always work. There needs to be clear demands outlined, they say. But consumers do like being able to take action against something they feel strongly about.
Bjorn Markeson, an economist for Implan, a company that works with companies on economic analysis, said one-day boycotts are not impactful.
“While a one-day economic boycott can be a powerful symbolic gesture, its measurable economic impact is typically minimal. Short-term disruptions in consumer spending often lead to delayed purchases rather than actual losses, as businesses and households adjust their behavior before and after the event,” Markeson said. “Additionally, the scale of impact depends on widespread participation, which is difficult to sustain for a single-day action.”
One-day economic blackout:Consumers are boycotting major retailers. Here’s what they plan for ‘blackout’ on Feb. 28
Are people participating in the boycott?
The 24-hour-economic blackout has gained traction on various social media sites, with many consumers sharing the plans for the day and saying they will not spend.
It is difficult to gauge the economic impact of a one-day action with data. Spokespeople for Mastercard and Visa, for instance, said the companies do not share one-day sales data.
There has also been considerable opposition to the one-day blackout, with some consumers who disagree with the action saying they will make a point to spend money on Friday.
Betty Lin-Fisher is a consumer reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] or follow her on X, Facebook or Instagram @blinfisher. Sign up for our free The Daily Money newsletter, which will include consumer news on Fridays, here.
