These Product Boycotts Actually Scared Companies Into Paying Attention

The known history of boycotts stems back to the 1700s. In the 1750s, American Quaker colonists began refusing to buy sugar. Sugar was one of the products sourced from enslaved Africans, and Quakers felt an ethical call to avoid any slave products. This boycott eventually spread to Britain in the 1790s, when the British began campaigning to stop buying sugar from the West Indies. Although the word “boycott” would not materialize for nearly another century, this shows how, historically, consumers have resisted purchasing products or from brands that do not align with their values. In Donald Trump’s America, the call for boycotts is far and wide. After Target rolled back Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives, consumers called for a boycott of the stores. Similarly expected calls have gone out for other giants such as Amazon, and are expected to materialize later this year. (Ford and Walmart have also been accused of pulling back from DEI.)

There are many reasons why people choose to boycott products or companies. For example, someone might choose to boycott a brand whose snack products have been shown to be unhealthy, or whose products caused serious illness after contamination. Others might have belief systems around sustainability or eco-friendly initiatives, and choose not to support companies who don’t center sustainable practices. Whatever the cause is, boycotts have been proven to impact companies — though whether the company changes or not varies. Here, 24/7 Wall St. identified fifteen product boycotts and evaluated their success. To do so, we used sources such as Ethical Consumer, Reddit, Newsweek, and Consumer Reports, among others. The boycotts are listed in no specific order.

Why We’re Covering This

People vote with their wallets every day. So when consumers choose to boycott a brand or product, they can hit companies where it really matters: profits. While social media outrage comes and goes, company attention gets turned towards boycotts because these protests affect sales. Companies facing successful boycotts can lose millions — and sometimes billions — in revenue, and stock prices might drop if investors get nervous. The boycotts that work typically target a company’s bottom line to the point it can’t be ignored — and those that fizzle away probably didn’t have enough impact on revenue. (Starbucks to kick out people who aren’t customers: will this spark another boycott?)

Check out the brand boycotts that worked — or didn’t — across the United States:  

15. Walmart

• Date of boycott: 2012
• Reasons for boycott: Unfair wages
• Still ongoing?: No
• Did it work? No

Walmart Boycotts

As one of the world’s largest retailers, Walmart is no stranger to boycotts. But the conflict the company saw in 2012 was different. When OUR Walmart (Organization United for Respect) and labor advocacy groups highlighted Walmart’s poor wages, the outcry was fast and loud. 

However, Walmart did not see a drop in sales, even as the boycotts called for customers not to shop at Walmart during the 2012 holiday season. Ultimately, Walmart did respond in some capacity by raising wages and increasingly focusing on eliminating unfair or poor working conditions. 

14. Adidas

• Date of boycott: 2022
• Reasons for boycott: Antisemitism
• Still ongoing?: No
• Did it work? Yes

Kanye West

This might sound more current, considering rap star Kanye West’s recent Hitler-promoting tweets and Swastika t-shirts, but West has had issues with antisemitism for years. After he received criticism for antisemitic remarks about Jewish people in 2022, a boycott grew, calling for Adidas to part with the rapper. Due to its partnership with Kanye, Adidas made hundreds of millions, if not billions. 

However, the calls soon grew louder after the company remained silent despite Jewish groups, social media users, and even celebrities calling out the brand. It eventually succumbed to the global backlash. As a result, Adidas lost an estimated $1.3 billion in unsold Yeezy shoe inventory. 

13. Apple

• Date of boycott: 2016
• Reasons for boycott: Legal battle
• Still ongoing?: No
• Did it work? No

FBI Investigation 

After the FBI asked Apple to unlock an iPhone during an investigation of the 2015 San Bernadino terrorist attack, Apple refused, citing privacy concerns. Apple believed unlocking this iPhone would open the door to additional requests and violate customer trust. 

In response, conservative groups and national security advocates called for a boycott of Apple’s stores and products. Unsurprisingly, the boycott wasn’t successful, and Apple saw no financial disruption. It only strengthened its privacy position, which improved overall brand loyalty. 

12. Target

• Date of boycott: 2023
• Reasons for boycott: Pride Month
• Still ongoing?: No
• Did it work? Yes, short-term

Pride Month Collection 

In the past, Target has been known as one of the most socially conscious retail brands, though whether that still stands is in question. Either way, Target has been previously well-known for pushing the envelope for its customers. The company introduced a Pride Month Collection in June 2023 that included LGBTQ+-themed clothing and merchandise. 

As one can imagine, the feedback from Conservative and parental groups was swift, leading to nationwide boycotts of Target. Initially, Target felt the same pain from the boycott, as overall sales dropped 5% in the quarter following the collection’s launch. It would also move the collection to a more discrete part of the store, but even against declining sales, Target stuck the course. 

11. Hershey’s

• Date of boycott: 2023
• Reasons for boycott: Featuring a transgender woman
• Still ongoing?: No
• Did it work? No

Hershey’s Loves Chocolate

In the “HER for SHE” promotional International Women’s Day campaign, Hershey’s featured transgender woman Fae Johnstone alongside four Canadian women in an attempt to advocate for female empowerment and equality. But conservative groups were outraged. Conservative social media influencers, activists, and other groups called for an immediate boycott of Hershey’s products.

Hershey’s seems to hardly reference the boycott and has never indicated any financial impact. However, conservative groups have stated that they stopped buying the brand’s products — at least for the time being. 

10. McDonald’s

• Date of boycott: 2003
• Reasons for boycott: Super size me
• Still ongoing?: No
• Did it work? Short-term

Super Size Me

After documentary filmmaker Morgan Spurlock highlighted the adverse effects of eating at McDonald’s, a boycott emerged. Health advocates latched on to Spurlock’s findings in his videos, and consumer groups vowed to skip McDonald’s meals. After all, everyone wanted a healthier America. 

Admittedly, McDonald’s first received some negative press and saw a short-term drop in sales. But the boycott did not impact the company in the long-term. If anything, the boycotts benefited McDonald’s, whose sales increased after the fast food giant introduced healthier items like fruit and salad. 

9. Keurig

• Date of boycott: 2017
• Reasons for boycott: Pulled advertisements
• Still ongoing?: No
• Did it work? No

Controversial Remarks

In 2017, Sean Hannity — one of the most popular conservative talking heads — defended Roy Moore, a Senator accused of sexual misconduct, on the Hannity television show on Fox News. Popular coffee maker Keurig, who had advertised on the show, faced significant criticism. As a result, Keurig pulled its advertisement, a move that ignited ire from Hannity and his followers. 

Sean Hannity led the boycott, asking viewers and fans nationwide to destroy their Keurig products. Unsurprisingly, videos of Keurig machines being destroyed quickly popped up on social media with the hashtag #BoycottKeurig. While Keurig faced criticism, it didn’t suffer any financial losses. 

8. Amazon

• Date of boycott: 2020
• Reasons for boycott: Unsafe worker conditions
• Still ongoing?: In limited areas
• Did it work? No

Amazon Workers

The COVID pandemic caught all companies off-guard. Many tried to find ways to keep their labor force safe and happy. But Amazon was immediately accused of unsafe working conditions during the outbreak. Complaints targeting Amazon’s opposition to unionization led to boycotts across the United States and much of the world. 

Led by Make the Road New York and Athena Coalition, the campaign had little impact on Amazon’s bottom line. Instead, the company saw sales jump 38% during the pandemic — probably because having items shipped directly through online shopping was easier, and safer, than going to the store. While the company still faces complaints over its labor practices, it remains one of the largest online brands globally. 

7. Starbucks

• Date of boycott: 2018
• Reasons for boycott: Racial profiling
• Still ongoing?: No
• Did it work? Yes, short-term

Pro-Union Protest

• Date of boycott: 2018
• Reasons for boycott: Labor and pay disagreements
• Still ongoing?: Somewhat 
• Did it work? Yes, short-term

A History of Protests

In 2018, protests broke out after an incident in Philadelphia where Starbucks employees denied two African-American men the use of a public restroom. The men were told that the bathrooms were only for customers; they then sat down at one of the tables without purchasing anything. When a manager asked them to leave, the men declined as they were waiting for a friend, leading the manager to call the policy. Piggybacking on the Black Lives Matter movement, social justice advocates accused Starbucks of racial profiling. Starbucks saw a brief sales dip, but lasting financial harm wasn’t an issue. However, the company closed all 8,000 of its stores for a day for racial bias training, which it hoped would improve its reputation after the social media outcry. 

But this is not the only protest or boycott Starbucks has faced. In 2023, the company faced protests and boycotts after many disliked the company’s position on the Israel-Hamas conflict. More recently, at the end of 2024 and into 2025, over 5,000 baristas walked out on their jobs to protest unfair wages and labor conditions. Many activists have boycotted the company in return, though it seems like a potential agreement has possible been reached. 

6. Gillette

• Date of boycott: 2019
• Reasons for boycott: Asked for better male role models
• Still ongoing?: No
• Did it work? Yes, short-term

Addressing Toxic Masculinity

In 2019, Gillette, the Razer Blade company, released an ad campaign that called out toxic male masculinity. Playing on its slogan — “The Best a Man Can Get” — Gillette’s ad featured men catcalling women, as well as general aggression and bullying. The campaign, at its core, asked men to be better role models. Unsurprisingly, men’s rights groups and conservative talking heads were quick to latch onto the campaign and complain. 

The campaign immediately received a backlash, resulting in social media posts that destroyed Gillette products. Gillette’s parent company, Procter & Gamble, also faced stock price volatility, which led to a 4% drop in sales for the first few months of the boycott. However, Gillette’s fate has reversed course and the company’s 2024 value was up from previous years. 

5. Nike

• Date of boycott: 2018
• Reasons for boycott: Supporting Colin Kaepernick
• Still ongoing?: No
• Did it work? No

Take a Knee

As the first professional athlete to take a knee during the national anthem, NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick received immediate backlash. Conservative groups and watchdogs quickly punished Kaepernick and his sponsors, including Nike, for his actions. 

Opponents of his actions were quick to boycott and even ban Nike merchandise. In reality, Nike saw increased sales, especially with younger, more socially conscious consumers. Nike’s “Just Do It” ad campaign featuring Kaepernick resulted in a 31% increase in online sales. While Kaepernick’s career in football hardly lasted post-conflict, he has committed himself to advocacy and even founded a publishing house to amplify diverse voices. 

4. #GrabYourWallet

• Date of boycott: October 2016
• Reasons for boycott: Lewd conversations
• Still ongoing?: No
• Did it work?: Yes

Trump Boycott

When Donald Trump was interviewed by Billy Bush, the then-host of Access Hollywood, his use of lewd language — “grab her by the…” — prompted an outcry. Marketing activist Shannon Coulter kicked off the #GrabYourWallet movement and was soon supported by activists across the country. The movement called for a boycott against any companies doing business with Trump family products — most notably, his daughter Ivanka’s beauty lines. As a result of #GrabYourWallet, Nordstrom broke ties with Ivanka, as did Sears, Belk, Jet.com, Kmart, Marshalls, Uber, and more. 

3. North Carolina 

• Date of boycott: 2016
• Reasons for boycott: Anti-LGBT practices
• Still ongoing?: No, repealed
• Did it work?: Yes

“The Bathroom Bill” 

Transgender rights have been at the forefront of conversation for years. In 2016, North Carolna passed HB2, the Public Facilities Privacy & Security Act. Known colloquially as the “Bathroom Bill,” the bill stated that everybody must use the bathroom attributed to their sex at birth. HB2 was immediately met with a firestorm by LBGT communities and led to many different organizations, including the NBA and Lionsgate Films, to cancel events within the state. As a result, North Carolina lost more than $3.8 billion in revenue. Eventually, Governor Roy Cooper repealeg the bill in March 2017. 

2. Chick-fil-A

• Date of boycott: 2010
• Reasons for boycott: Anti-LGBT practices
• Still ongoing?: In a limited capacity
• Did it work?: No

Religious Controversies

Chick-fil-A famously closes every Sunday — much to the chagrin of college students and hungry families alike — in adherence to the founder’s wshes. The family that created the franchise is incredibly religious and heavily believes in the “biblical definition of a family unit.” In 2010, Chick-fil-A donated to the Pennsylvania Family Institute, a group known for anti-gay messaging and its opposition to gay marriage. 

Multiple people and organizations called for boycotts to Chick-fil-A. Some gay activists even held a “Kiss Off” at Chick-fil-A locatons on a specific day that year. However, the boycotts were unsuccessful. Instead:

• Sales were up by 12% by 2012.
• Chick-fil-A more than doubled its annual sales by 2019. 
• Over 700 new restaurants were opened nationwide. 

1. Bud Light

• Date of boycott: April 2023 
• Reasons for boycott: Political correctness
• Still ongoing?: Limited capacity
• Did it work?: Yes

Top Beer Brand

In 2023, Bud Light featured transgender personality Dylan Mulvaney in an ad campaign. The ad seemed simple enough: designed to reach younger audiences, Mulvaney posted a video drinking Bud Light and toasting her online followers. But the ad incensed more conservative audiences, including singers like Kid Rock. 

In response, American conservatives called for a boycott against the “woke” brand. It took just one month before Bud Light’s sales fell by as much as 26%. After holding the top spot as America’s best-selling beer brand for 20 years, Bud Light lost this position to Modelo Especial in June 2023. While the backlash against Anheuser-Busch has, for the most part, fizzled out, there still have been lasting implications for the brand. According to reporting from the New York Post, “Bud Light sales were down 29.9% year-over-year for the week ending Jan. 20, compared with the same period last year.”

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