Gen Z Is Leading America's Boycott Charge
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
A significant number of Americans support consumer boycotts targeting corporations in response to certain actions, according to a new study.
According to a recent survey by research firm and lending marketplace LendingTree, 31 percent of U.S. consumers say they have boycotted a business in the past.
By generation, Gen Zers aged 18 to 28 were found to be the most likely to participate in a boycott at 37 percent, while 59 percent of this group also said they have researched a businesses values and stances before shopping there.
Why It Matters
A number of America's largest corporations have faced boycotts in recent months, with Starbucks, Amazon and Home Depot currently seeing calls for shoppers to refrain from their stores and online services.
Many of these boycotts have been driven by progressive groups who have expressed concerns over workers' rights and company tax avoidance, as well as backlash to companies scaling back diversity hiring commitments. LendingTree's survey revealed that those who are in favor of this form of targeted action span age groups and the political spectrum.
The McDonald's logo is displayed at a McDonald's restaurant on October 23, 2024, in Omaha, Nebraska. Walmart grocery signage outside in Houston on May 27, 2025.
The McDonald's logo is displayed at a McDonald's restaurant on October 23, 2024, in Omaha, Nebraska. Walmart grocery signage outside in Houston on May 27, 2025.
Mario Tama /Aaron M. Sprecher/Getty Images / AP Photo
What To Know
LendingTree conducted its survey of 2,050 American consumers aged 18 to 79 from May 14 to May 16. Of those who said they had boycotted a business, 43 percent cited perceived discrimination by the company as the reason, 44 percent mentioned their objection to a political donation or affiliation, and 29 percent to religious messaging or practices.
Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) proved to be an issue that split respondents along party lines. Forty-five percent of consumers said they were more likely to support a business that promotes DEI policies, though 21 percent said this would make them less likely to do so. Of the latter group, 29 percent of Republicans and 16 percent of Democrats said they were less likely to support a pro-DEI business. The handling of DEI policies has been central in the recent boycotts of McDonald's, Target and Walmart, who scaled back certain diversity-focused initiatives at the beginning of this year.
Whether they have participated or not, the survey revealed that 45 percent of consumers look into a company's values and stances before shopping there.
LendingTree also found that anti-boycott sentiment to be a significant force, with 23 percent of respondents saying they had supported a business specifically because it was the target of a boycott. Republicans (31 percent) were more like to participating in these "reverse boycotts" than Democrats (20 percent).
What People Are Saying
LendingTree chief consumer finance analyst Matt Schulz said: "There's no doubt that lots of Americans are aware of the political leanings of many of the businesses they frequent, but the fact that 45 percent of consumers look into a company's politics before buying from them is pretty shocking."
"Any company that attempts to downplay the importance of politics in their customers' shopping choices does so at its own peril," he added. "Your potential customers are listening closely to what your business says, whether you like it or not."
What Happens Next?
Boycotts led by the grassroots group The People's Union USA are currently targeting Amazon, Home Depot and Starbucks.
John Schwarz, the group's founder, has also called for a Fourth of July boycott. In a video posted to Instagram, Schwarz encouraged consumers to avoid celebrations, fireworks and "big store spending" in a protest against the presidency of Donald Trump.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Newsweek
16 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Haas F1 Team Receives Purchase Offers: 'Really pushing'
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu has opened up on the numerous offers people made in the last 18 months to purchase the American outfit, with some even "pushing" to seal a deal, as Haas enters its tenth year in Formula One. He also highlighted the role of team owner Gene Haas and his dedication to keeping the team on the F1 grid. Komatsu has been a part of Haas since its F1 journey began in 2016, standing by through its highs and lows. The team witnessed huge challenges in the Covid-19-affected year of 2020, with struggles continuing through to the 2023 season when Haas finished last in the Constructors' Championship. Then-team principal Guenther Steiner was ousted ahead of the 2024 season, the year in which Haas witnessed significant progress under Komatsu. The managerial changes and failures from 2023 prompted several parties to approach Gene with offers to buy the team. However, Komatsu emphasized that Gene is passionate about F1 and has no interest in selling the team. Haas F1 Team's British driver Oliver Bearman takes part in the first practice session ahead of the Formula One British Grand Prix at the Silverstone motor racing circuit in Silverstone, central England, on July 4,... Haas F1 Team's British driver Oliver Bearman takes part in the first practice session ahead of the Formula One British Grand Prix at the Silverstone motor racing circuit in Silverstone, central England, on July 4, 2025. More BEN STANSALL/AFP/Getty Images Opening up on his upcoming run with Gene at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in a Haas VF-23 F1 car to celebrate the team's tenth anniversary, Komatsu said ahead of the British GP: "This year when he [Gene] came to Miami, I could see that he actually enjoyed just being there. "He always asks lots of technical questions because he's interested, but that hasn't changed. On top of that, he was just enjoying the occasion. "I thought, wow, I'm going to ask him if he wants to drive in Goodwood. He didn't know much about Goodwood, but now he's driving, he read about it, and he's really excited for him to again experience things like that." Addressing the pushy offers that came Gene's way to acquire Haas, Komatsu added: "Honestly, he's seen lots of changes. He's so engaged now. He understands the details as well. What's the best way to put it? He's always been very passionate about the sport and the result. He always wants us to improve, which is what we need from the owner. He was always behind us. "I don't know everything, but in the last 18 months he's had numerous offers to buy the team. He's not interested. He really enjoys being the owner of the F1 team. Currently one out of 10, from next year one out of 11. That's such a privileged position to be in. "He came in at a time when F1 wasn't like this. He stuck with us during such a difficult period of COVID. Now he's enjoying it. "Honestly, Gene's so committed. He's coming here [to Silverstone], obviously. He's arriving Friday or tomorrow and then staying for Goodwood. He's enjoying it. That's the main thing. "We are grateful that we have such a passionate owner, so committed. He's not interested in selling at all. I can tell you recently I had some people really pushing to buy it, [Gene's] not interested. He got even annoyed that these guys are asking so many times."
CNN
17 minutes ago
- CNN
Trump prepares to sign his agenda bill, with a flyover and fireworks to mark the occasion
It's the celebration President Donald Trump has been waiting for. After weeks of cajoling Republicans into backing his domestic mega-bill — despite lingering concerns about its Medicaid cuts, deficit expansion and political pitfalls — Trump will sign the measure into law on the White House South Lawn on Friday afternoon. He's turned the traditional July 4 picnic into a celebration of the country's independence and of his win in Congress, seizing upon the day's fanfare to salute the most decisive legislative victory of his second term. The festivities will include a bomber jet flyover – a nod to the military's recent strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities – and a fireworks show on the National Mall. It's all how Trump envisioned it when he first set the July 4 deadline to get the bill approved weeks ago. Even some of his own allies thought the timeline was overly ambitious. But Trump's iron grip on his own party, combined with what a White House official described as an 'omnipresent' effort by the president to get Republicans on board, culminated in the bill's passage in the House on Thursday with only two GOP defections in the chamber. In many ways, the event marks the payoff for weeks of effort by the president and his team to get the bill across the finish line. Trump invited members of Congress to come to the event, which will also be attended by military families who are the usual guests for the Independence Day picnic. In other ways, however, the moment is just the start of Trump's efforts to sell his bill to an American public that, according to polls, remains skeptical of its contents. The bill extends tax cuts Trump first approved in 2017 during his first term, along with creating new ones, totaling in cost of $4.5 trillion. It also boosts funding for immigration enforcement and defense. To pay for the new spending and declines in tax revenue, the measure cuts $1 trillion from Medicaid, along with cuts to food assistance. But it will still, according to an analysis from the Congressional Budget Office, add $3.3 trillion to the federal deficit, which does not include the cost of servicing the debt. Many Republicans had feared the bill's cuts to social safety net programs, like Medicaid and food stamps, could open them to political attacks ahead of next year's midterm elections. According to the CBO, almost 12 million Americans could lose health coverage as a result of the bill's changes to government programs. Other analyses put the number higher, taking into account new paperwork burdens on recipients to prove their eligibility. Democrats have already begun pointing to the bill's overwhelming tax rewards for wealthy Americans to accuse Trump of snatching away benefits from the poor to reward his rich backers. Some of Trump's allies have conceded they have some catching up to do in messaging what they view as the benefits of the bill, including eliminating taxes on tips and bolstering money for Trump's immigration enforcement agenda. Trump said Thursday that he wanted Republicans to message on it during the midterm campaign. 'Not one Democrat voted for us, and I think we use it in the campaign that's coming up the midterms, because we got to beat them,' Trump said. Recent history is littered with presidents who, after using congressional majorities to push through major legislation meant to burnish their legacy, later lamented not doing enough to sell the bill to the American public – after their party members paid the price at the ballot box. For Trump, however, the bill he'll sign into law Friday is less about helping Republicans win and more about his own legacy. He has framed the package as codifying the promises he made to voters on the campaign trail, and used it to punctuate what he's called the most successful start to any presidency in history. Friday's flyover of the B-2 bombers — used to drop bunker-busters on Iranian nuclear facilities last month — underscores the consequential stretch of days punctuated by passage of Trump's bill. Aside from the Iran strikes, Trump successfully convinced NATO allies to spend more on defense at a leaders' summit last week; secured a major victory at the Supreme Court that expands his executive powers; and generated new momentum toward a ceasefire in Gaza that could materialize in a matter of days. A day ahead of his July 4 celebration, Trump basked in the string of victories. 'This had to be the best two weeks,' he said. 'Has anybody ever had a better two weeks?'
CNN
an hour ago
- CNN
Mexicans protest Americans moving into their neighborhoods
The influx of Americans moving to Mexico is pushing housing prices up and forcing Mexicans out of some cities. CNN's Valeria León reports.
