US Economic Blackout and Corporate Boycotts

A grassroots organization, United States — The People s Union USA, founded by John Schwarz, is encouraging U.S. residents to participate in a 24-hour 'economic blackout' on Friday, February 28, by abstaining from all spending. This act of 'economic resistance' protests the influence of billionaires, large corporations, and political parties on working Americans. The movement also plans weeklong boycotts targeting specific retailers like Walmart, Amazon (company) (including its subsidiary Amazon — Whole Foods Market), Nestlé, and General Mills. Separately, other activists and faith-based leaders, including Nina Turner (leading We Are Somebody), Jamal Harrison Bryant, and Al Sharpton (National Action Network), are organizing boycotts against companies, particularly Oracle Corporation, for scaling back diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. These efforts are also in opposition to Donald Trump's moves to abolish federal DEI programs. While some experts anticipate a temporary dent in daily retail sales, the long-term sustainability and overall impact on the market are debated, with past boycotts showing mixed results, such as Goya Foods' temporary sales bump and Anheuser-Busch InBev — Anheuser-Busch brands's sustained sales plummet.