Walmart boycott begins April 7 over DEI rollback - full list of products organizers urge us to avoid

A nationwide boycott of Walmart is being organized by The People's Union USA starting April 7 as a result of their DEI termination efforts sanctioned by the Trump administration’s executive order banning diversity programs for federal employees.

After Trump's anti-DEI announcement, several businesses, including Walmart and Target, decided to scale back their DEI hiring efforts. This has led unions and advocacy groups to urge people to make a statement with their spending.

The boycott targets Walmart's retail stores, online platforms, private label brands, pharmacy & health services, financial services, warehouse clubs, subscription services, and grocery delivery & pickup. The Walmart 'blackout,' starts on April 7, but goes on until the 14th - a full week.

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Approximately 90% of Americans live within 10 miles of a Walmart location. According to Walmart, 255 million people shop at Walmart locations and eCommerce websites each week.

The People's Union USA previously organized a nationwide 24-hour economic blackout in February. Retailers experienced varied impacts from this, with Walmart seeing a 5 percent drop in web traffic, according to USA Today, although this reflected general trends in consumer spending rather than a sustained shift.

Led by John Schwartz, The People's Union previously initiated a nationwide 24-hour economic blackout of major corporations on Feb. 28 and a weeklong boycott of Nestlé products that ended on March 28.

Schwartz cites "corporate greed" as a primary driver for these boycotts, stating, "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."

Target was also the recent target of similar boycotts. On March 5, Target customers braced themselves for a stringent 40-day boycott starting Wednesday in response to the company's shift away from diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies.

The boycott, organized by Rev. Jamal Bryant, a prominent Atlanta-area megachurch pastor, aims to pressure Target into reinstating its DEI policies. Bryant has accused the company of having "turned [its] back on our community."

Typically, Christians sacrifice something for Lent, and this year, Bryant is encouraging his congregation to abstain from shopping at Target during this solemn period, as reported by CNN. If adhered to, this boycott could significantly impact the company.

Target is among numerous Fortune 500 companies that rolled back DEI policies after Trump assumed office in January, which was a disappointment to its diverse, progressive customer base.

Last year, Target launched "Belonging at the Bullseye," a campaign aimed at fostering a sense of belonging for its team, guests, and communities. However, this year, the company emphasized the need to keep pace with the changing external environment.

Amid pressure from right-wing activists and legal groups, it disbanded an executive committee focused on racial justice and implementing other diversity changes in January.

In response to these rollbacks of DEI policies, Anne and Lucy Dayton, daughters of one of the company's co-founders, have labeled the company's actions as "a betrayal."