For weeks, the internet was buzzing with talk of an “economic blackout” planned for February 28, 2025.
The Feb 28 Economic Blackout was a planned consumer protest that encouraged Americans to stop spending money for an entire day to express frustration with rising prices, corporate greed, and political decisions affecting economic policies.
This one-day boycott gained attention online, with social media posts urging people to avoid shopping at major retailers, dining at fast-food chains, and making any non-essential purchases.
Supporters were encouraged to spend only at small, local businesses if absolutely necessary.
The idea for the blackout came from The People’s Union USA, a grassroots group started by John Schwarz, a 57-year-old from Queens, New York, who now lives in the Chicago area.
Until early 2025, Schwarz had little experience in large-scale activism, but his online following rapidly grew when he began promoting the protest.
His message spread quickly, and within a week, his Instagram followers increased from 11,000 to 250,000.
His organization’s website, often overwhelmed with traffic, recorded more than 600,000 views leading up to the event.
Alongside social media attention, Schwarz’s fundraising efforts also gained traction, with donations surpassing $95,000.
The boycott was in response to several economic and political issues that frustrated many Americans.
Inflation had pushed up the cost of necessities, with the price of eggs averaging $4.95 per dozen in January.
Rising gas prices, higher housing costs, and increasing utility bills added to concerns.
Many people were also upset over mass layoffs of federal workers after the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) cut jobs.
President Donald Trump had appointed Tesla CEO Elon Musk, the world’s richest person with a net worth of $398 billion, to oversee DOGE and reduce government spending.
Some believed these layoffs unfairly targeted younger employees and those involved in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
Schwarz and The People’s Union USA did not focus on any single corporation; instead, they encouraged people to halt all spending at major companies.
Some social media users suggested targeting brands like Walmart, McDonald’s, Meta, Ford, and Target, which had ended DEI programs following Trump’s executive order in January.
However, the organizers’ official message was broader, aiming to show that consumers could oppose corporate power and government decisions.
The protest attracted support from public figures, including actors John Leguizamo, Stephen King, and Bette Midler, who shared posts promoting the blackout.
Others, like 83-year-old Pat Gavin-Gordon from Minneapolis, joined because of their long-standing commitment to activism.
Gavin-Gordon, who had previously marched with Cesar Chavez in the 1970s, was particularly upset about companies backing away from DEI efforts.
She had been a loyal Target customer but was frustrated by the company’s decision to scale back its diversity programs.
In contrast, companies like Apple and Costco maintained their commitments to DEI, which some participants saw as a reason to continue supporting them.
Isabel Cotarelo, a 69-year-old artist from Kingston, New York, also participated.
Her concerns were mainly about economic inequality and the influence of billionaires over government policies.
She believed the blackout was an opportunity to show that ordinary people were unhappy with corporate and political decisions that only benefited the wealthiest individuals.
The protest was not an isolated event.
Other consumer boycotts had already begun earlier in the year.
A separate movement calling for a long-term boycott of Target started on February 1 in response to the company’s DEI changes.
Another campaign, known as #LatinoFreeze, encouraged Latino Americans to spend only on essentials while supporting minority-owned businesses.
Meanwhile, civil rights leader Rev. Al Sharpton and the National Action Network announced plans for a 90-day boycott targeting two yet-to-be-named corporations that had abandoned DEI commitments.
Despite the enthusiasm on social media, analysts were skeptical about whether a one-day spending pause would make a noticeable dent in major retailers’ earnings.
Consumer spending makes up nearly 70% of the U.S. economy, but experts pointed out that even a 5% to 10% drop in sales on a single day could easily be explained by normal fluctuations, like bad weather.
By midday on February 28, reports from major retailers suggested no noticeable decline in shopping activity.
According to Marshal Cohen, Circana’s chief retail advisor, retail executives and analysts saw no significant change in in-store traffic.
Although major retailers may not have seen a drop in sales, some individuals took the boycott seriously.
Rachelle Biennestin, a first-grade teacher from the Boston area, had already been following a “No Buy 2025” trend, which promotes reducing unnecessary spending.
She supported the blackout by avoiding purchases at large retailers like Walmart, Amazon, and Target, choosing instead to shop at Costco, a company that maintained its DEI policies.
Although this particular blackout may not have caused an immediate financial impact on corporations, organizers were already planning future boycotts.
The People’s Union USA announced additional protests targeting specific companies, including a March 7-14 boycott of Amazon, a March 21-28 boycott of Nestlé, and an April 7-14 boycott of Walmart.
Another nationwide one-day spending halt was scheduled for April 18.
The Feb 28 blackout also took place amid a growing backlash against companies that have retreated from their DEI programs.
Target, once seen as a leader in corporate diversity efforts, eliminated hiring goals for minority employees, disbanded an executive committee focused on racial justice, and scaled back other DEI initiatives shortly after Trump took office in January.
This decision drew sharp criticism from many former supporters of the brand. Rev. Jamal Bryant of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Stonecrest, Georgia, launched a campaign urging 100,000 people to boycott Target for 40 days starting on March 5, encouraging them to buy from Black-owned businesses instead.
Retail data suggested that the backlash against Target may already be affecting customer behavior.
In mid-February, foot traffic at Target stores declined by 7.9%, according to phone location tracking data from Placer.ai.
In comparison, Walmart traffic dropped by 4.8%, while Costco, which has not abandoned DEI programs, saw a 4.8% increase in visits.
Analysts at Telsey Advisory Group noted that Target’s drop in customer visits closely followed its DEI policy changes, suggesting a possible link between the two.
Although one-day boycotts can be difficult to sustain, protests have influenced corporate behavior in the past.
In the 1990s and early 2000s, pressure campaigns forced Nike to improve working conditions in its overseas factories.
In 2018, following the school shooting in Parkland, Florida, consumers successfully pressured companies like Delta Airlines, Avis, and MetLife to cut ties with the National Rifle Association.
