Holiday Boycotts Surge: Shoppers Avoid Retailers Seen As Backing Trump-Era Policies

As the holiday shopping season peaks, many U.S. consumers are weighing ethics alongside price, redirecting spending away from companies they view as aligned with President Trump’s policies. A coalition-backed campaign and a series of targeted actions have sought to turn seasonal buying into a statement of political and social values.

We Ain't Buying It Drives Holiday Resistance

The No Kings organizers helped amplify a campaign called We Ain't Buying It over Black Friday weekend, urging shoppers to skip major retailers such as Target, Home Depot and Amazon during the marquee sales period. The coalition said more than 220 organizations joined the effort and that the campaign persuaded over 40,000 people to pledge to be more conscious consumers. The group also reported that directories like Little Blue Cart, which list progressive small businesses, saw record traffic as shoppers sought alternatives.

Why Shoppers Are Boycotting

Activists cite a range of grievances driving the boycotts:

Target: Protests from Black activists followed the company’s rollback of certain diversity initiatives and programs that supported Black-owned businesses. Target has said the boycott is affecting sales.

Home Depot: Organizers protested alleged enforcement actions by immigration agents targeting day laborers who gather in store parking lots; the company says it does not coordinate with federal agencies and does not control when enforcement occurs.

Amazon: Longstanding left-leaning criticism of Amazon — over worker treatment, effects on small retailers and billionaire ownership — intensified after the company donated to the presidential inaugural committee and its founder attended the inauguration.

Spotify and Other Platforms: Activists have focused on streaming services running ads that include recruitment messaging for immigration enforcement agencies. Demands include canceling subscriptions, refusing to stream on the platforms and staging protests until companies change ad policies; platforms have defended their ad choices.

Companies Linked To High-Profile Figures: Actions and statements by high-profile executives have also drawn consumer pressure. Activists have targeted companies associated with those executives, staging showroom protests and urging boycotts that organizers say have dented sales in some cases.

Effective Tactics And Encouraged Alternatives

Organizers point to examples where focused, sustained pressure led to corporate responses — for instance, a networked backlash persuaded some media companies to reverse content decisions. They recommend concrete steps for consumers who want to use their dollars as a tool for change:

• Shop small and local when possible.
• Reuse or buy secondhand to reduce demand for large retailers.
• Support immigrant- and minority-owned businesses directly or by purchasing gift cards.
• Donate to or buy merchandise from institutions that resisted controversial administration demands.

Where Things Stand

Several boycotts remain active and others are emerging. While some shoppers support companies that have legally challenged government policies, many continue to redirect holiday spending to smaller or mission-driven businesses. The movement reflects a broader trend of consumer activism where purchasing decisions are treated as a form of civic participation.

Note: Figures and campaign claims are reported by organizers and participating groups; companies targeted by boycotts have offered varied public responses and dispute some of the activists' assertions.