By Jeroslyn JoVonn
www.blackenterprise.com
The People’s Union is launching a second nationwide boycott against Walmart to combat the retailer’s “corporate greed.”
On May 20, People’s Union Founder John Schwarz took to Instagram to urge shoppers to boycott Walmart from May 20 to 26. The grassroots group behind the one-day economic blackout on Feb. 28 is now calling for a week-long boycott of Walmart, Sam’s Club, and affiliated brands like Great Value and Equate.
The latest blackout comes in response to Walmart’s planned price hikes that the retailer has tied to Trump’s tariffs.
“Because after all the record profits, all the tax loopholes, all the corporate greed, Walmart now once again wants to raise prices,” Schwartz said in the video. “But this time, because of the tariffs, as if they’re not already raking in billions, as if they can’t absorb the cost. As if you and I should carry this burden.”
Since Feb. 28, the People’s Union has held weekly boycotts, targeting companies like Amazon and Nestlé. The group plans to continue these actions through July 4, when it will escalate with longer campaigns. These efforts run alongside separate protests by other organizations against retailers like Target, criticizing their rollback of DEI initiatives.
Target has faced significant profit losses amid ongoing boycotts. Coupled with the impact of Trump’s tariffs, the company has revised its full-year outlook, now projecting a slight decline in net sales, which is a backtrack from its earlier projections.
Walmart’s price hike announcement was met with criticism from the president, who took to social media to tell the mega-retailer to “EAT THE TARIFFS.”
n response to the latest boycott, Walmart reissued a statement released during The People Union’s first boycott in April.
“As one of the largest corporate taxpayers in the country, not only do we pay our fair share, we are an economic force multiplier strengthening communities nationwide through job creation, supplier growth, and over $1.7 billion in cash and in-kind donations last year,” the statement read. “We remain dedicated to earning the business of all Americans and giving our time and resources to causes that uplift and unite communities who rely on us every day.”
The People’s Union has future boycotts planned throughout June into July:
- June 3-9: Target
- June 24-30: McDonald’s
- July 4: Independence Day Blackout
