Nationwide Lowe’s Boycott Planned for August 1: What to Know

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Marni Rose McFall is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. Her focus is on internet trends, U.S. politics and popular culture. She has covered fashion, culture, art and music extensively. Marni joined Newsweek in 2024 from Frasers Group and had previously written for Cosmopolitan, Schon, The Fall and Voir Fashion. She is a graduate of The University of Edinburgh. You can get in touch with Marni by emailing m.mcfall@newsweek.com.

Marni Rose McFall

News Reporter

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A nationwide boycott of Lowe’s, organized by the People’s Union USA, is scheduled to begin August 1 and run throughout the month, as the group calls for Americans to halt spending at the home improvement retail chain.

Newsweek has reached out to Lowe’s and the People’s Union USA’s founder, John Schwarz, via email for comment.

Why It Matters

The Lowe’s boycott is the latest in a series of consumer-led economic boycotts. Boycotts of large American companies have been repeatedly organized following President Donald Trump’s return to office back in January.

Progressive groups have spearheaded the action and expressed concerns over a number of issues, including company tax avoidance and workers’ rights, as well as the scaling-back of diversity hiring commitments.

The planned boycott of Lowe’s in August was announced by John Schwarz, founder of The People’s Union USA, via Instagram.

The movement has previously organized boycotts against companies including Amazon, Target and Walmart, as well as leading 24-hour nationwide “economic blackouts.” Schwarz has more than 500,000 followers on Instagram and more than 360,000 on TikTok.

In August, the group will aim to withhold consumer spending at Lowe’s for the entire month, alongside similar actions that target Walmart and McDonald’s.

The mission statement from The People’s Union USA reads: “We are not a political party. We are not a protest. We are a movement of people, organizing to take back control of our economy, government and future of our country.”

Lowe’s rolled back its DEI initiatives amid online backlash from conservatives in the summer of 2024. The changes, which were confirmed by Lowe’s to Bloomberg at the time, included the retail chain ending its participation in surveys conducted by the LGBTQ advocacy group Human Rights Campaign and plans to stop sponsoring community events that are not focused on safe and affordable housing, disaster relief and skilled trades education.

What People Are Saying

John Schwarz, founder of The People’s Union USA, in a video posted to Instagram in late May: “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 these 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.”

What’s Next

The People’s Union USA’s boycott of Lowe’s is scheduled to begin on August 1 and last through the end of the month.

Correction, 08/01/25, 7:05 a.m. ET: This article was updated to clarify that The People’s Union USA is led by John Schwarz.