MADISON, Wis. — A 24-hour economic blackout took place Friday, after being promoted and shared on social media.
An activist group called the “People’s Union USA” said it was an act of “economic resistance” against what it called the malign influence of billionaires on the lives of hard-working Americans.
The boycott asked people not to spend any money or do business with corporations such as Walmart and Amazon, along with food giants Nestle and General Mills.
Target is also being boycotted after rolling back its diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
Pam Schwarzbach owns Hive of Madison. When she heard about Friday’s nationwide boycott, she saw an opportunity to share the importance of shopping small and local.
“That’s your power as an American to do that and as a consumer,” Schwarzbach said. “But the flip side of that, too, is your power as a consumer to invest where you find value.”
Hive was one of a few local businesses that shared social media posts encouraging shoppers to keep their money in the community they live in.
“Really, at the end of the day, we decided to enlighten customers about where and how to make their money matter,” Schwarzbach said.
With no clear number as to how many people took part in Friday’s blackout, it’s still unknown if big box national retailers noticed any effect.
Avik Chakrabarti, an associate professor of economics at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, said it will take much more than a one-day boycott to strike a nerve.
“It is going to take a lot of effort and a long time for consumers to come together in a way that would send a signal to businesses that are detrimental to our national economy,” Chakrabarti said.
Still, he said an effort to continue this behavior long-term could have an impact eventually.
“A large section of this economy is driven by consumers, like almost 70%,” Chakrabarti said. “So, when consumers are empowered that far, they can make a difference.”
That’s why Schwarzbach shared the message that even just one day of intentionally shopping local can make a huge difference for a small business owner.
“[Friday was] a day to to use your dollar as your voice and choose what businesses matter to you and what in your community is important to you so that it’s around in the long term to keep your community thriving and surviving,” she said.