Sat Mar 01 02:50:00 UTC 2025: ## Grassroots “Economic Blackout” Makes Little Impact on Retail Sales

**NEW YORK (AP)** — A nationwide “economic blackout” urged by a fledgling activist group, the People’s Union USA, saw limited success Friday, with no significant impact on major retailers reported. The 24-hour protest, encouraging consumers to refrain from spending money, aimed to demonstrate resistance against the perceived influence of billionaires, corporations, and both major political parties on working Americans.

While some individuals on social media documented their participation, retail analysts found no noticeable decrease in sales. Marshal Cohen, chief retail advisor at Circana, reported no significant consumer pullback based on his firm’s monitoring. He attributed any potential minor fluctuations to normal daily variations.

The People’s Union USA, founded by John Schwarz, a meditation teacher with a prior criminal record (concealing a voyeuristic offense), solicited funds through crowdfunding, exceeding $95,000 in donations. This revelation, reported by The New York Times, prompted criticism, branding the event a potential “scam”. Schwarz claims the conviction is to be expunged.

Although the blackout failed to significantly impact national chains, some small businesses reported increased sales, benefiting from consumers’ support for local shops. However, the event’s long-term implications remain uncertain.

The protest is not an isolated incident. Several ongoing boycotts target companies perceived as reducing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. These include a 40-day boycott of Target, led by Rev. Jamal Bryant, in response to the company scaling back its DEI goals, and a planned boycott of other companies by the National Action Network, These actions follow a pattern of boycotts impacting companies over perceived political stances or social issues, including previous examples targeting Goya Foods and Bud Light with varying levels of success.

Marketing professor Anna Tuchman of Northwestern University anticipates the blackout will have a negligible long-term economic effect, despite providing a platform for consumer activism. She points to prior boycotts, highlighting the temporary success of the Goya boycott among Republican-leaning consumers, followed by a return to pre-boycott sales levels. The Bud Light boycott, in contrast, shows a more sustained negative impact on sales. The success or failure of these types of protests remains heavily reliant on sustained consumer participation and wider social trends.

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