As the winter shopping season hit full swing in December 2025, American consumers found themselves at the intersection of economic pressures, shifting retail strategies, and a growing movement for social change. This year, Black Friday didn’t just mark the start of the busiest shopping weekend—it also launched a new consumer boycott targeting Amazon, Home Depot, and Target, with far-reaching implications for the retail sector and the communities it serves.
According to Capital & Main, the boycott is spearheaded by We Are California, a coalition focused on multiracial social change. Running through the end of December, the campaign urges shoppers to withhold their dollars from companies accused of contributing to the oppression of people of color. The charges are serious: ending diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and tolerating U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids in their stores.
Organizers are asking consumers to redirect their spending to smaller businesses owned by Black, brown, and Indigenous entrepreneurs. The campaign’s slogan, "We Spend Where We Get Respect," is more than just a catchphrase—it’s a call for racial solidarity and a push to empower communities historically marginalized by the mainstream economy. The campaign’s website even features a directory of local alternatives, making it easier for shoppers to support businesses aligned with their values.
This movement is not without precedent. As Capital & Main points out, Black Americans have used consumer boycotts as tools for justice since the Jim Crow era, most famously with the Montgomery bus boycott of 1955. That year-long campaign ended segregation on public transit and changed the course of American history. Today’s organizers hope to channel that same spirit, arguing that California—with its status as the world’s fourth-largest economy and a national leader on social justice—has a special responsibility to act.
The boycott is also a response to recent developments at Target, which has faced a Black-led boycott since March 2025 after allegedly reneging on public DEI commitments. The impact has been significant: Target’s sales and profits have declined, and the company’s CEO recently stepped down. While Target has not fully restored its DEI policies, it has reaffirmed its commitment to diversity in public statements since April. Yet, as the campaign’s supporters argue, words alone aren’t enough—concrete action is needed to regain trust.
“We need a multiracial, multigenerational, multi-issue movement to create the California we dream of,” reads a statement on We Are California’s website. The campaign’s backers include the Community Coalition and Inner City Struggle in Los Angeles, both grassroots organizations serving Black and brown neighborhoods. Their message is clear: California must do more than celebrate diversity—it must empower it, setting an example for the rest of the nation.
Meanwhile, the broader retail landscape is undergoing its own transformation. According to The Street, the phenomenon known as "Christmas creep" has seen major retailers like Target and Walmart rolling out holiday merchandise and promotions earlier each year—sometimes as soon as Halloween ends. Wharton marketing professor Stephen Hoch describes it as a "mini-arms race," with stores vying to start the season first. “It’s like a mini-arms race. The competition among retailers means nobody wants to be second. That moves the shopping season up a little bit more each and every year,” Hoch explained on the Wharton Business School website.
The extended holiday season has both benefits and drawbacks. On one hand, sales are spread out, reducing crowds and shifting much of the action online. On the other, it puts pressure on consumers to balance hopes for better deals with fears of missing out on popular items. Wharton’s Patricia Williams notes that while some shoppers finish early, many still wait until closer to the holidays, as Black Friday no longer guarantees the best prices.
But this year, the usual holiday hiring spree looks markedly different. Traditionally, retailers would add tens of thousands of seasonal workers to handle the rush, often turning temporary jobs into permanent roles. In 2025, however, the numbers are down. Target, for example, is prioritizing additional hours for current team members and relying on its flexible On-Demand workforce of about 43,000. The company will still hire seasonal staff as needed across nearly 2,000 stores and 60-plus supply chain facilities, but the scale is smaller than in years past.
Target’s seasonal workers earn starting wages between $15 and $24 per hour, depending on role and location, and receive benefits from day one—including early pay access, a 10% discount (plus 20% off wellness items), and virtual health care. The company touts opportunities for growth, noting that more than half of last year’s seasonal hires were offered permanent positions, and nearly one in five field leaders began in seasonal roles.
Walmart, by contrast, is currently not accepting seasonal hiring applications, instead holding them for 30 days in case of openings. Its seasonal pay ranges from $14 to $28 per hour, with a robust package of health, financial, and educational benefits, including the Live Better U program that covers tuition and fees for associates seeking degrees or certificates.
Amazon, meanwhile, is making a big holiday hiring push, announcing 250,000 new jobs across the U.S., including in rural areas. Regular employees earn an average of $23 per hour with benefits, while seasonal workers make over $19 per hour on average. Amazon’s roles fill quickly—often within minutes of being posted—and the company emphasizes pathways for advancement. “Every year, we meet employees who started as seasonal hires and go on to become managers, trainers, or leaders across our buildings, and we love that people everywhere can make these jobs what they want them to be,” the company shared on its website. Amazon also offers education programs like Career Choice, pre-paying tuition for workers pursuing degrees or certificates.
Despite these hiring efforts, the overall outlook for seasonal retail jobs is dim. According to Indeed’s Hiring Lab, seasonal job postings in October 2025 were up 11% over 2024, but last year was already the weakest in recent memory. Challenger, Gray, & Christmas, a labor market research firm, projects that retail hiring in the final quarter of 2025 will fall below 500,000 positions—marking the smallest seasonal gain since the recession-hit year of 2009. The reasons are many: tariffs, lingering inflation, automation, and a preference for permanent staff over temporary hires. “This year may be more about doing more with less,” said Andy Challenger, senior vice president at the firm, though he left the door open for a late hiring push if holiday sales exceed expectations.
All of these trends—the rise of consumer activism, changes in hiring, and the ever-earlier start to the holiday season—reflect deeper shifts in American society. As shoppers decide where to spend their money, they’re not just hunting for bargains; they’re making statements about values, community, and the kind of country they want to live in. For many, it’s a reminder that even in the heart of the holiday rush, the power of the consumer’s voice can still ring loud and clear.
