The numbers are in: The Feb. 28 “Economic Blackout,” a national 24-hour boycott of major retailers and credit card companies, had a measurable and significant impact on the profits of some of the leading corporate backers of the Trump administration and backsliders on DEI policies.
As the first collective economic action of its kind, the Economic Blackout sets the stage for future actions to flex the economic power of the working class against the attacks of the Trump administration and supporters among retail and finance capital.
Since MAGA’s return to power, America’s major corporations have been tripping over themselves to pander to the policy priorities of the Trump administration’s white supremacist project. They’ve rolled back DEI policies, revoked equity grants, and ended LGBTQ Pride initiatives, all in a desperate attempt to ingratiate themselves with the new right-wing regime.
Walmart, which loudly spent tens of millions of dollars trying to paint itself as progressive in recent years after long being known as among the more politically conservative of corporations, wasted no time flip-flopping. On Nov. 25, 2024, just weeks after the election, the company announced sweeping changes, including abandoning their Racial Equity Center and pulling out of participation in an LGTBQ equality index.
Other major retailers weren’t far behind. In January, Target dropped its DEI goals and abandoned pledges to carry more products from Black-owned businesses. In February, Amazon removed the words “diversity, equity, and inclusion” from its annual report. All of these are striking reversals from stances taken in the aftermath of the George Floyd protest movement, but it’s no surprise: Profiteering is the only principle driving these firms.
This February, working-class Americans decided they had to act against this shameless opportunism. While no one has ever looked to major corporations as moral leaders, the speed and brazenness with which they abandoned basic human dignity drew outrage across the country, especially among Black and Latino communities.
These communities wasted no time responding. Simultaneous actions were launched this month: a month-long boycott of Target to coincide with Black History Month, launched by a Minneapolis faith leader. But it was the Feb. 28 Economic Blackout—primarily targeting Walmart, Target, Amazon, and Starbucks—that drew the biggest headlines.
And despite initial skepticism of the viability of a grassroots boycott movement like the Feb. 28 Blackout, market data published in the weeks since points to a substantial material impact.
A Numerator poll of 1,300 Americans conducted before the Feb. 28 Economic Blackout found 16%, nearly 1 in 5, said they planned to participate. And judging by the data available so far, it seems many of those polled lived up to their word.
In-store, website, and app traffic were down at many targeted retailers.
Walmart saw its web traffic drop 6.5%, and its app saw 2.5% fewer users. Amazon took a 4.6% hit to its traffic. But it was Target where the effects were most pronounced. On Feb. 28th, Target saw its web traffic drop 10.9% over the previous Friday, while foot traffic was down 10.7%. Meanwhile, anger against Target’s policies drained sales throughout the entire month, with Target leadership admitting to shareholders that topline performance was “soft” in February.
On the flip side, Costco, which has repeatedly affirmed its commitment to DEI efforts, saw its web traffic climb 8.3% on Feb. 28. This is a sign workers may have chosen to shop at Costco instead of competitors due to the blackout pressure.
With these successes as a tailwind, many groups are planning to continue the pressure by ramping up the campaign. Upcoming actions include retailer-specific campaigns:
- Amazon: March 7-14
- Nestle: March 21-28
- Walmart: April 7-14
- A second overall Economic Blackout, planned for April 18.
Many other efforts are also part of the mix:
- 40-day “Target Fast,” launched by Bishop Reginald Jackson of D.C., began March 5 (ash Wednesday)
- #LatinoFreeze, a broad movement encouraging boycotts of anti-DEI businesses and support for Latino, Black, and allied businesses.
- National Action Network boycott, to be announced at the organization’s annual convention.
Consumer activity represents 68% of Gross Domestic Product in the United States, making consumption by far the largest portion of American economic activity. Thus, the threat of a coordinated change, or even complete halt, in the spending practices of American consumers has the potential to generate pain for capital.
With a broad progressive anti-Trump coalition in search of focal points for collective action, this first-of-its-kind Economic Blackout offers proof of principle that the working class can flex its might through coordinated changes in consumption. It is one tactic that can be added to the arsenal alongside protests, labor actions, lobbying, and electoral work.
Coupled with the massive growth in union organization at major retailers like Amazon, Whole Foods, Costco, Starbucks and beyond, a one-two punch threat of consumer boycotts and strike action, for instance, now looms on the horizon for monopoly capital and its servants in the Trump administration.
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