Shopping Boycotts Explained: What They Are and Why They Matter
A nationwide buying boycott has been planned for February 28th, in which people are urged to refrain from discretionary shopping, particularly from giants like Target, Walmart, Amazon, and Best Buy.
This buying boycott comes at a time when people are pushing back against the elimination of DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) programs, but is also a pushback against the myriad negative social, ethical, and environmental consequences that come with constant and unconscious consumerism.
Learn where to buy better in this guide to make avoiding big companies easier.
This guide will explore the impact of shopping boycotts and feature a few resources for participating!
Boycotting is a form of voluntary and non-violent protest entailing the avoidance of a product, person, organization, or country. Shopping boycotts are targeted at avoiding the purchase of specific products or refusing to shop with certain companies.
This action falls under what has been termed political consumerism, because the reasons for avoidance are often political, social, or ethical.
However, buying boycotts are nothing new, and retail giants have been spotlighted for various social and environmental issues over the years; but the recent pullback on DEI has repelled shoppers even more intensely.
Do buying boycotts actually work?
Boycotts can have an impact when consumers push back and demand quality, transparency, and values that align with their own, leading to changes in anything from policy to pay.
We’ve recently seen Target lose in-store foot traffic and profit since announcing their changes in DEI.
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It’s also important to recognize that even if boycotts do not lead brands or businesses to make the desired changes, it can still raise awareness.
Informed consumers are increasingly seeking out more sustainable and ethical brands, and can be willing to pay more for them. However, boycotts are not without complications.
One of these is that if you choose to boycott a certain product or brand, they may just be one part of a company’s greater whole, and you may still find yourself inadvertently supporting them by purchasing something else that falls into the business’s portfolio or shopping at a different company owned by that same larger entity.
Frustratingly, brands that have been boycotted may use the very thing they’ve been criticized for to work in their favor. If a company has been accused of environmental or social malfeasance, they may start implementing sustainable or ethical measures to get back in consumers’ good books.
While this may be done with good intentions and can have some effect, it can also lead to practices like greenwashing when only the loosest measures are applied to create a more positive image or restore a burnished reputation.
If a fast fashion brand switches to using more natural fabrics and minimizing plastic packaging, but is still releasing dozens of new trends and styles on a daily basis, they’re not doing anything to address the root issues of overconsumption or labor exploitation.
While boycotts are a great place to start, it’s important to keep up the momentum and continue to hold brands accountable over time by being more mindful consumers in general, calling brands out on social media, and continue pushing back! How we spend our money is incredibly powerful!
Read our list of easy ways to take action beyond the shopping boycott!
Also be sure to check out the other resources below for ways to be a more conscious consumer.
MEET THE AUTHOR
Claudia Hauter is a South African writer, copy editor, and content creator with degrees in Drama and Anthropology. She works in television managing web content. When she isn’t reading or writing, she’s walking her dog, finding small businesses and markets to support, or attracting butterflies and bees with her vegetable garden. Learn from Claudia on Twitter or Instagram.