9 Easy Ways to Resist Corporate Consumerism Beyond Shopping Boycotts
Buying boycotts are impactful, but it’s important to keep up the momentum and recognize it’s not the only course of action we can take.
Positive social changes that have occurred in the wake of boycotts are often performed in conjunction with other actions.
Boycotts may impact brands negatively but do not necessarily change consumer behavior. While corporate giants need to be held accountable and policy change is necessary, individual action is also imperative.
Read about the impact of shopping boycotts!
A List of Meaningful Ways to Fight Capitalism
Here are ways that you can be more conscious and buy less from corporations!
Pin this list for later
Share Skills
If you have the time and skill, do it yourself – whether it’s making a dress, baking bread, or planting a vegetable garden. Help others in your community by sharing or teaching your skills!
Shop Secondhand
If you need to purchase or replace something, shop second-hand or swap with a friend or family member.
Repair What You Have
One of the many things you can do is maintain and repair what you already own. This can be anything from clothing to cars.
Delete Apps
Delete shopping apps. If you think you want to buy or replace something, rather go directly to the store or log onto the website and order it from there.
Getting rid of the convenience of buying something quickly and with minimal effort will make you think twice about whether you really need it.
UNSUBSCRIBE FROM EMAILS
Similar to deleting the apps, unsubscribing from e-mails will help remove the temptation to give into buying something new.
Shop Your Values
There’s also the conceptual opposite of boycotting: buycotting. This is the practice of seeking out and supporting products, brands, and businesses that align with your values.
There are many ways to do this, like shopping small and shopping local. Smaller businesses tend to have smaller supply chains, making for greater transparency about labor practices and where and how products are made.
Buying locally can cut down on carbon footprints, as goods and materials don’t have as far a distance to travel.
Plus, The Honest Consumer has a lot of resources to help with this:
Keep in mind that some small brands and start-ups may be supplying to chains you’re avoiding; but you can still support them by seeking them out online and buying directly from them.
Use Social Media
Social media can be a great place to call out large corporations who are not being ethical.
And it can be a good place to engage with the small businesses you support by following them on social media or checking out their website. If you’ve found brands that align with your values, you’ll want to know that they’re sticking to them.
If a business is consistent and always trying to improve, rather than just implementing measures to create an illusion or restore a reputation, there’s a better chance the concerns they engage with are ones they genuinely care about and will continue to promote.
If not, brands can find themselves in an ironic quandary similar to what happened with Target.
After scaling back on their Pride collection following pushback from conservative customers, Target is now facing opposition from the other side for rolling back on DEI.
Ditch Retail Therapy for a Mindful activity
However, manufacturing, selling, and buying products will always have impacts, no matter how good anyone’s intentions; so finding better brands is not an excuse to shop more or to enable bad habits.
While so-called retail therapy can offer temporary relief, compulsive shopping can lead to avoiding or even compounding your problems.
Moreover retail therapy is not therapy. If you’re feeling down – besides seeking out actual therapy – rather try measures like reading a book, doing yoga, going for a green walk, or having coffee with a friend.
We have a whole list of sustainable activities for inspiration!
Shop Less
One of the most impactful actions you can take is to shop less. It can take the form of a grand statement like the planned economic blackout; but it can also be as simple as implementing some of the measures above like repairing what you own, swapping with a friend, or doing something besides shopping.
Hopefully this guide has helped you find some ideas to keep up the momentum as a conscious consumer.
The Honest Consumer has been focused on conscious consumerism for over nine years! Consider subscribing to our weekly newsletter to continue learning about how to be a mindful shopper!
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.
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