Shoppers are avoiding certain brands over politics: poll
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Democrats and Black and Gen Z shoppers are carving a new path of resistance by refusing to shop at certain stores over their political stances in the new Trump era.
- Big companies like Target, Disney and Google have recently abandoned or changed their DEI policies and programs to align with the president's agenda.
Why it matters: Consumers on both sides of the political spectrum have used their wallets in the past to protest individual companies — with varying results.
- "It seemed like consumers are just fatigued by all this shifting politics in their brands," Harris Poll CEO John Gerzema told Axios, comparing the drive to "opt out" of the economy to "a mental health break."
- "Instead of maybe standing in the checkout line, they're just sort of checking out," he added.
State of play: Democrats were more likely to say they'd stop shopping at companies that have political views they disagree with, with 45% saying they'd dump a brand compared to 34% of Republicans, according to The Harris Poll findings shared with Axios Tuesday.
- Half of Democrats indicated they had shifted their spending entirely in the last few months to align with their morals compared with Republicans (42%).
- The Guardian was the first to report on the findings.
By the numbers: Around four out of 10 Americans have changed their spending habits over the past few months to align with their moral view, the poll found.
- Some 24% of respondents said they had stopped shopping at their favorite stores because of their politics, a sentiment 35% of Black respondents and 32% of Gen Z respondents shared.
Between the lines: Conservatives in recent years were more vocal about dumping companies they deemed political or "woke."
- Right-wing activists led a boycott of Bud Light in 2023 that torpedoed parent company Anheuser-Busch's sales after the beer company sent trans social-media influencer Dylan Mulvaney an influencer package.
- Last year, Target chose to sell its Pride Month collection in fewer stores following right-wing ire and boycotts over LGBTQ+-themed products.
Zoom out: Amazon, Disney, Google and others have similarly reviewed and rolled back DEI programs, in part over shareholder pressure and the changing legal landscape after the Supreme Court's 2023 affirmative action decision.
- Others, like Apple and Costco, have upheld their DEI efforts.
Calls to boycott Target since it changed its DEI policies have gained broad traction online.
- Twin Cities Pride announced in late January that the Minnesota-based company would not "have a presence at the festival or parade" despite a long-standing partnership with the LGBTQ+ group.
What's next: Some entrepreneurs and business owners have pushed back against corporate DEI rollbacks. They've argued policy changes have left some minority-owned brands that work with larger retailers in limbo over how to market their products.
- Activists have encouraged "intentional spending" to support minority-owned or small businesses. The NAACP's recently released Black Consumer Advisory urges Black buyers to make "informed spending decisions" and demand accountability amid attacks on DEI.
Go deeper: Americans are fine with corporate DEI
Methodology: This survey was conducted online within the U.S. by The Harris Poll from January 30th to February 1st, 2025, among a nationally representative sample of 2,108 U.S. adults.
