Latest news with #ThePeople'sUnionUSA
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Why are some shoppers boycotting Walmart this week?
Another weeklong Walmart boycott is set to start Tuesday and will continue through Memorial Day. The company has been facing backlash since rolling back DEI programs in the past year but grassroots advocacy group The People's Union USA, which is led by John Schwarz and organized the first Walmart blackout in early April as well as this second one, told The Arizona Republic the actions of The People's Union USA are not directly tied to companies' DEI stances. "The mission of The People's Union USA is to hold corporations and corrupt systems accountable, not with violence or empty promises, but with the one thing that actually affects them, the money we spend," Schwarz said to The Arizona Republic via email. Here's what New York shoppers should know. The weeklong Walmart boycott begins Tuesday, May 20, and runs through Monday, May 26. While specific details haven't been released about this boycott, April's boycott included the chain's stores, online platforms, and Sam's Club, Walmart's membership-only warehouse. There are 82 Walmart Supercenters in the Empire State, according to the chain's website, as well as 16 discount stores and one neighborhood market. 100 Elmridge Center Drive in Greece 3800 Dewey Ave. in Greece 1490 Hudson Ave. in Rochester 2150 Chili Ave. in Gates 1200 Marketplace Drive in Henrietta 441 Commerce Drive in Victor 1990 Brandt Point Drive in Webster There are 12 Sam's Club warehouses across New York, according to Walmart's website. What to know: Why are some shoppers boycotting Walmart this week? The People's Union USA has more consumer boycotts through July. Here's the schedule: Target: June 3-9 McDonald's: June 24-30 Independence Day boycott: July 4 Contributing: The Arizona Republic reporter Reia Li Emily Barnes on consumer-related issues for the USA TODAY Network's New York Connect Team, focusing on scam and recall-related topics. Follow her on X and Instagram @byemilybarnes. Get in touch at ebarnes@ This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Walmart boycott: What shoppers should know
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
New Target boycott launched: Here's what's behind it
The People's Union USA is asking consumers to once again boycott Target. Between June 3-9, the activist group, led by John Schwarz, is calling for people to not shop at the retail chain, instead asking supporters to shop local. "Take the week to spread the word — no more Target. We don't need Target. We don't have to shop at Target," Schwarz said in a June 2 Instagram post. "Shop locally and independently. It's time that people teach a corporation a lesson and let's take that lesson out on Target." Here's what to know about the latest Target boycott. It's essentially for the same reason the activist group organized previous boycotts against Walmart, Amazon and Nestle and General Mills. Although The People's Union blackouts started at a similar time as other DEI-related boycotts, Schwarz told The Arizona Republic that the actions of The People's Union USA are not directly tied to companies' DEI stances. "The mission of The People's Union USA is to hold corporations and corrupt systems accountable, not with violence or empty promises, but with the one thing that actually affects them, the money we spend," Schwarz said via email. This isn't the first boycott against Target this year. Soon after President Donald Trump took office in January, Target joined a wave of major retailers announcing the end of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. The changes included ending a program aimed at helping Black employees advance in the company and supporting Black-owned businesses. When the rollback was announced, Target said it already planned to end the program this year. This decision prompted consumers upset with the DEI rollback to boycott the major retailer. A national Target boycott in honor of Black History Month began Feb. 1, led by Minnesota activists. The ongoing Latino Freeze movement asks Latinos to stop spending money at Target and other major retailers that cut DEI. A 40-day boycott during Lent led by Black church leaders ended April 17. There are 107 Target locations in New York, according to the company's store directory, including seven in the Rochester area, and seven in Rockland and Westchester counties. Penfield: 2161 Fairport Nine Mile Point Road Henrietta: 2325 Marketplace Drive Greece: 600 Greece Ridge Center Drive Irondequoit: 500 Skyview Centre Parkway Chili: 3181 Chili Ave. Victor: 7500 Commons Blvd. Webster: 1050 Ridge Road Mount Kisco: 195 North Bedford Road, Suite A Mount Vernon: 500 East Sandford Blvd. Port Chester: 495 Boston Post Road Spring Valley: 50 Spring Valley Market Place West Nyack: 4120 Palisades Center Drive White Plains: 9 City Place Yonkers: 9005 Xavier Drive Looking to save on groceries?: Here's this week's store price breakdown Not all that well. Target acknowledged its reputation has been damaged by the boycotts in its annual report on financial performance filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission for fiscal year 2024, which ended in February. The company's net sales were down 2.8% compared with the first quarter of fiscal year 2024, according to Target's Q1 earnings report, and foot traffic, or the number of people entering Target stores, was also down. In February 2025, the first month of boycotts, Target's foot traffic was down 9.5%, according to And the week of March 31, Target's store traffic was down 7.9% compared to the previous year, Newsweek reported. Target's stock price is also down. On April 14, it hit the lowest point in five years at $94. At the end of January, the price per share was $142. Emily Barnes on consumer-related issues for the USA TODAY Network's New York Connect Team, focusing on scam and recall-related topics. Follow her on X and Instagram @byemilybarnes. Get in touch at ebarnes@ This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: New Target boycott launched: Here's what's behind it
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
A new Target boycott begins June 3. Here's what to know in Wisconsin
Another boycott of Target begins on June 3, the latest in a series of week-long spending freezes targeting major corporations across the U.S. The Minneapolis-based retailer been the subject of several other actions this year, including a boycott on the fifth anniversary of George Floyd's murder, a Black History Month boycott and a 40-day "fast" organized by faith leaders to coincide with Lent. Like previous week-long boycotts, the action was organized by The People's Union USA. John Schwarz, the group's leader, told The Arizona Republic the boycotts aren't directly related to companies' DEI positions, but rather to "hold corporations and corrupt systems accountable." In January, Target announced it would be ending its DEI program this year after President Donald Trump returned to office. Here's what Wisconsin shoppers should know: The Target boycott begins on June 3 and runs through June 9. Though the spending freeze is intended to last for a week, a post on Schwarz's Instagram indicated the group is calling for a "permanent boycott" of the retailer. "They've had their chance," the post said. "Now we show them the true power of the people. There are 38 Target locations across Wisconsin, according to its store directory. The People's Union USA has more consumer boycotts through July. Here's the schedule: McDonald's: June 24-30 Independence Day boycott: July 4 After these week-long boycotts, the group has also planned month-long boycotts for July and August, according to Schwarz's Instagram. In July, consumers are urged to boycott Starbucks, Amazon and Home Depot. Walmart, McDonald's and Lowes are the subject of August's boycotts. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Why are Wisconsin consumers boycotting Target this week?
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Target faces another boycott starting June 3. Here's why this spending freeze is different
Another Target boycott starts this week amid the retailer's stance on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. Organized by advocacy group The People's Union USA, the Target boycott is one of 11 consumer spending pauses scheduled in 2025. The list of planned boycotts includes Walmart, Amazon, McDonald's and more. Black faith leaders like Pastor Jamal-Harrison Bryant led the now-indefinite nationwide Target boycott separately. Here's what to know about the latest Target spending freeze and how the boycott might look in Ohio. The upcoming June Target boycott takes place June 3-9, 2025. While the spending pause will last for about a week, the organization's leader has also called for a permanent Target boycott. Consumers are urged to avoid shopping at Target, both in store and online. Target, like some other major retailers, announced it would end its diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. According to the Arizona Republic, these changes included ending a program aimed at helping Black employees advance in the company and supporting Black-owned businesses. John Schwarz, founder of The People's Union USA, called for the permanent boycott of Target in a May 26 Instagram post. "Target needs to be shut down. This corporation needs to feel the full power of the people," he said. Schwarz told The Arizona Republic that the actions of The People's Union USA are not directly tied to companies' DEI stances, but still aims "to hold corporations and corrupt systems accountable." Following previous spending boycotts, Target found itself embroiled in DEI controversy and suffered a subsequent drop in foot traffic and sales. The company also indicated boycotts, inflation and tariffs as a result of President Donald Trump's trade war impacted sales. Target operates 65 stores across the state, according to ScrapeHero. This includes six in Cincinnati, five in Columbus, and one in Akron, according to Target's Ohio store directory. These are the dates for the rest of the year's boycotts, according to The People's Union USA: Target: June 3-9 McDonald's: June 24-30 Independence Day boycott: July 4 This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Target boycott begins June 3. Here's what it could look like in Ohio
Newsweek
4 days ago
- Business
- Newsweek
Target Facing 'Permanent Boycott': What To Know
Produced [by our journalists] with financial support from an organization or individual that did not approve or review the work. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The rolling protests that have swept the U.S. in recent weeks continue with a "permanent boycott" of Target commencing this week. John Schwarz, founder of The People's Union USA, said in a post to Instagram last week: "What we are doing between June 3 and June 9, that week, we will be calling for the permanent boycott of Target." Newsweek has reached out to Target and Schwarz via email for comment. Why It Matters Multiple boycotts of major corporations have taken place this year, fueled by anger over the rollback of diversity policies as well as a wider groundswell of anti-corporate sentiment. The companies themselves, including Target, have acknowledged the impact of these actions on both their reputations among consumers and their bottom lines. What To Know The retail giant has been battling with boycotts of its stores since February. These were initially sparked by the company's decision to scale back diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, and were led by dozens of Black churches across the country. In addition to the reinstatement of these policies, organizers made several requests of Target, some of which have been met. However, the boycott set to hit Target stores from Tuesday is unrelated to the ongoing DEI-related protests, and is led by People's Union USA, a grassroots group committed to taking "power back from the corporations." In addition to Target, it has organized boycotts – or "economic blackouts" – against several companies in recent weeks, including Amazon, Walmart and General Mills. In previous boycotts, or "economic blackouts," the group had called on supporters to refrain from shopping at large stores and online, and to rely on independent small businesses. However, Schwarz is now encouraging Americans to shop "anywhere else but Target," as "they've had their chance." "I literally mean that," he said. "If you've got to shop at Walmart or Amazon, places we boycott, instead of Target, do it. Target needs to be shut down, this corporation needs to feel the full power of the people." A Target corporate logo hangs on the front of their store on May 17, 2025, in Jersey City, New Jersey. A Target corporate logo hangs on the front of their store on May 17, 2025, in Jersey City, New it has not commented on The People's Union USA boycotts directly, in its annual report released in March, Target acknowledged that there had been an "adverse reactions" to changes in its DEI initiatives. Last month, its first-quarter earnings revealed a 3.8 percent year-over-year decline in comparable sales, with the 4.7 percent growth in digital sales failing to offset a 5.7 percent drop in store sales. In addition, the number of in-store transactions dropped 2.4 percent. CEO Brian Cornell cited the "reaction to the updates we shared on belonging in January" as one of the "several additional headwinds" faced by the company in the quarter, and said the company would be "moving with urgency to navigate through this period of volatility." According to location analytics platform foot traffic at Target stores was down 6.2 percent in April from March. The company's share price has also fallen by 30 percent since the beginning of February, prompting Reverend Jamal H. Bryant, the pastor who led the DEI-focused boycott, to say: "We have cancelled Target." What People Are Saying John Schwarz, founder of The People's Union USA, said in a video posted to Instagram: "Economic resistance is working. Target, Walmart and Amazon are all feeling it, talking about it. They are talking about the boycotts. They are talking about The People's Union USA. My friends, we are fighting for theses corporations to finally pay their fair share of federal income taxes to alleviate that from the American worker. We are also fighting for these companies to hold manufacturers and themselves to a reasonable profit margin cap and equality across the board." "June 3 through the 9, we are calling for the permanent banning of Target," he added. A Target spokesperson previously told Newsweek: "At Target, we have an ongoing commitment to creating a welcoming environment for all team members, guests, and suppliers. It's core to how we support and grow our business. We remain focused on supporting organizations and creating opportunities for people in the 2,000 communities where we live and operate." Pastor Jamal Bryant, in an interview with CNN last week, said: "This boycott against Target is the most boycott by Black people in 70 years since the Montgomery Bus Boycott. They've lost $12 billion in valuation. Their stock tumbled from $145 a share to $93 dollars a share. The CEO's salary was cut by 43 percent. And so I just want to put an asterisk of what happens when our community mobilizes and stays focused. We have cancelled Target." What Happens Next? The Target boycott will continue into next week, after which The People's Union USA has announced plans to boycott McDonald's from June 24 to June 30, and for a nationwide Independence Day boycott targeting multiple companies on July 4.
