Nationwide boycott against Walmart to begin today: Everything you need to know about an economic blackout
The People’s Union USA is organising a statewide boycott of Walmart for a week in April, starting today till April 14. The Union had called for similar boycotts against Nestlé and Amazon.
The Union has also planned a one-day economic blackout to take place on April 18. Earlier, an economic blackout was called on February 28, which later spread to a number of businesses and stores, including Amazon and Nestlé in March.
The Walmart boycott will target online platforms, private label brands, health services, warehouse clubs, financial services, subscription services, grocery delivery and pickup, and retail stores.
What is an economic blackout
The Union has encouraged US citizens to refrain from spending for 24 hours as an act of resistance against what the group’s founder described as the malign influence of billionaires, big corporations and both major political parties on the lives of working Americans.
Other groups and individuals are organising longer boycotts to protest companies that have reduced their diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, and to oppose President Donald Trump’s moves to abolish all federal DEI programs and policies.
What is the People’s Union USA
The People’s Union USA said in a statement: “We are not a protest. We are a movement of people, organising to take back control of our economy, government and future of our country.”
“No matter what side of the political fence you stand on, you should be able to agree on this corporate greed and political corruption are choking this country,” it said.
The People’s Union USA, which takes credit for initiating the no-spend day, was founded only recently by John Schwarz, a meditation teacher who lives in the Chicago area, according to his social media accounts.
The website includes a link to a crowdfunding site where Schwarz requested help funding The People’s Union USA. As of March 2025, it showed well over $95,000 in donations, the vast majority in amounts $50 and under.
The term “Blackout” previously was applied to a 2020 protest initiated by two Black women who wanted the music industry to take a day to talk about racism and how the industry profited off Black artists. They created a campaign under the hashtag #TheShowMustBePaused. Social media users joined in by posting black squares and pausing their feeds to show support for the Black Lives Matter movement.
Walmart’s valuation loss
Walmart’s market cap dropped by $22 billion in March this year, after news broke that consumer confidence in the US plummeted to a 12-year low. CEO Doug McMillon had just said in February he’d noticed “stressed” behaviour from consumers who were more budget-constrained.
Walmart’s share price dropped about 3% by market close on March 25, resulting in its market cap falling to roughly $680 billion.
