Illinois Shoppers To Boycott Major Retailers For One February Day

There has been an online push to boycott major retailers across the country for one day in February. People from Illinois to New York are being asked not to shop at places like Walmart, Target, Amazon, and other stores because of recent changes to the company's policy.

Will America follow along with the boycott and will one day actually work?

Boycotts Have Worked On Other Companies

Consumers have shown that boycotts can work.  The biggest one over the last few years was the boycott of Bud Light.  Anheuser-Busch lost an estimated $1 billion dollars when consumers boycotted Bud Light after the company used transgender influencer Dylan Mulaney to endorse the beer.  And two years later while sales are up from the lowest point, they are not what they were before the boycott.

Target sales fell 5.4% in July 2023 after its Pride Month collection caused people to boycott the store.  At the time, Target lost billions in stock value.  Target's highest stock price in the last 5 years was at $260 per share in November of 2021.  It was down to $107 in October of 2023.  As of February 14, the stock sits at $127 per share.

Can A One Day Boycott Be Effective?

A one-day boycott is not going to have the same kind of effect on a company's overall financial picture.  Even if people do skip out on buying items for one day, if they all shop the day before or after nothing will change for the company.

However, if the goal is to gain awareness of the reason behind the boycott, then it can put pressure on a company to make changes.

Why The Push To Boycott Major Retailers on February 28?

Social media accounts are rallying people in protest of some companies' change in diversity, equity, and inclusion (or DEI) initiatives.

Since taking office, President Donald Trump has ordered investigations into DEI programs of private companies.  Now groups like "The People's Union" and  "theonecalledjai" on Instagram are pushing back with a boycott.

Companies that have been named in the boycotts are:

• Tesla
• Google
• Meta
• In-n-Out
• Home Depot
• Chick-fil-A
• Hobby Lobby
• Target
• Walmart
• Amazon

This push to boycott is for DEI however, there are more groups pushing for boycotts this month.  To coincide with Black History Month, civil rights activists in Minnesota are encouraging customers not to shop at Target for the entire month of February.

It continues with the Latino community boycotting businesses with the hashtag #LatinoFreeze.  The website latinofreeze.com has a long list of companies they are boycotting.

But wait, there's more.  Comedian Leslie Jones announced her plans for a boycott for the entire year.  Pastor Jamal-Harrison Bryant is organizing a "Target Fast" that will last during Lent.

Consumers are trying to make changes with their pockets.  Will they show success like past boycotts or will too many boycotts cause burnout and confusion?  The rest of February should tell us how the majority of America feels.

H/T USA Today