A new Walmart spending freeze is set to start soon. More economic protests are planned through the spring and summer. Organizers are calling on companies to bring back diversity, equity and inclusion policies or change other stances.
Advocacy groups are encouraging more and more people to vote with their dollars, and it started with a nationwide 24-hour economic blackout of major corporations on Feb. 28. A 40-day spending freeze at Target is ongoing through Lent until the week of Easter, and a weeklong boycott of Nestlé products ended on March 28.
When President Donald Trump took office in January, he immediately started rolling back DEI at the federal level while encouraging a larger culture shift. Multiple companies, like Walmart, Lowe’s and Meta have dropped their DEI programs.
The NAACP is urging people to shop with Black-owned businesses and others that still have DEI programs.
Protest organizers from multiple groups are mostly targeting major brands that have stopped DEI work, hoping to show them that shoppers want to support brands that help women, minorities, the disabled and veterans. But some protests, like against Nestlé, target other issues.
John Schwarz, the Chicago man who formed the People’s Union USA, listed multiple reasons for targeting the Swiss company in a March 17 Instagram video. Among other reasons, he cited the corporation continuing to use child labor in chocolate production. It also has drawn criticism for the low prices it pays for the water it uses when communities, like Flint, Michigan, need affordable, clean water.
Here’s what Georgia shoppers should know about the upcoming Walmart boycott and the one at Target, along with other economic protests across the country this spring and summer.
What we know about the weeklong Walmart boycott
The Walmart blackout will run Monday, April 7 through April 14 and is targeted at all Walmart stores, affiliated brands and store brands.
“Now it’s time to hit even harder. Walmart is one of the biggest beasts in the game. A mega-corporation that has swallowed up local economies, crushed small businesses, underpaid their employees, and helped fund the same political machine that keeps us all stuck,” Shwartz wrote on his website.
The People’s Union is asking people to avoid shopping at Walmart online or in stores, Sam’s Club location and using services like Walmart+ or MoneyCard.
He also wants people to skip buying their private label food and other products:
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Great Value: Food and home/cleaning supplies.
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Mainstays: home products, kitchen goods, appliances and furniture.
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Parent’s Choice: baby and kid products.
How many Walmart stores are in Georgia?
Walmart has three fulfillment center, 10 distribution centers and 209 retail locations in Georgia according to the company website.
They include:
The company employs about 65,240 associates in the state, and it collected about $916.7 million in taxes in fiscal year 2024. Walmart pays about $284.1 million in taxes in Georgia.
More: DEI explained: What is DEI and why is it so divisive? What you need to know.
What we know about the 40-day ‘Target fast’ boycott
The Target boycott was organized by Atlanta Pastor Jamal Bryant and other faith leaders. They encourage people to avoid shopping at the major retail chain for the duration of Lent. They also ask investors to sell off their Target stock.
It started on Ash Wednesday, March 5, and is encouraging people to skip Target through April 17. Additional information is available at targetfast.org.
How many Target stores are in Georgia?
There are Target locations in 42 Georgia cities, according to its store directory.
What boycotts are coming up?
The People’s Union boycott will include different companies throughout the spring and into summer, according to USA TODAY. A new, broader economic blackout will be on April 18-20 and a third is set for July 4.
More boycotts and other actions are planned throughout the coming months. Organizers hope to gain momentum after other smaller-scale protests. An Amazon boycott was March 7-15. The Nestlé one ran March 21-28.
Here are more brand boycotts the group is planning:
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Walmart: April 7-14 and May 20-26.
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General Mills: April 21-28.
Social media posts — using #LatinoFreezeMovement and #LatinoFreeze — have also encouraged Hispanic consumers to “hold your money” to make statements about DEI initiatives, National Institutes of Health funding and immigration actions.
National Action Network set to announce new boycott soon
The National Action Network, founded by the Rev. Al Sharpton, has encouraged support of Costco, which has kept its commitment to DEI.
The group said in a Feb. 25 news release that it will announce an authorized boycott at the NAN Convention set for April 2-5.
“As I stood in Washington on King Day, just as Donald Trump put his hand on the bible and launched a crusade against DEI, I made it clear NAN will be thoughtful in how it identifies those who have gone back on our word to us. We have convened a council with our partners to examine what companies have reneged on DEI, what their profit margins are, and how we can use Black buying power to make a statement. We appreciate the spirit of the various efforts but the only one that I and NAN have authorized will be announced at our national convention this April.”
The Rev. Al Sharpton, Feb. 25 news release
Contributing: Cailey Gleeson, Alex Perry, Mariyam Muhammad, Rea Li
Bonnie Bolden is the Deep South Connect reporter for Mississippi with Gannett/USA Today. Email her at bbolden@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Target boycott is now in GA. Amazon, Walmart protests are coming soon
