The Economic Blackout—how Homeowners Can Shop On February 28

Illustration by Realtor.com. Source: Getty Images (2)

Retailers are bracing to see whether consumers will heed a grassroots call to boycott mainstream stores on Friday, Feb. 28.

Some names targeted for the shunning are Amazon, Target, Walmart, and Best Buy.

“This system is rigged,” declares People’s Union founder John Schwartz on his website. “Human beings were not born to be industrial slaves.”

Schwartz, who started the movement and goes by The One Called Jai on Instagram, has called for consumers to rein in their spending for 24 hours starting at midnight on Friday.

“If you must, only support locally-owned small businesses,” he directs.

While it remains to be seen if the economy will come to a screeching halt, the resistance leader’s message has been shared widely online and covered extensively in the press.

His original post calling for a boycott was viewed 29.8 million times and received almost 400,000 likes.

A global economic blackout is being planned for Feb. 28.

(TheOneCalledJai/Instagram)

(TheOneCalledJai/Instagram)

Celebs like John Leguizamo, Melissa Gilbert, Bette Midler, and Stephen King chimed in with messages of support.

“Don’t buy stuff on February 28,” said King on BlueSky. “Money is the only thing these d—s understand.”

Schwartz told KSDK that 55,000 people signed up for the boycott on the organization’s website and 750,000 have visited the site in the past three weeks.

“I’m not delusional,” he said. “I’m pretty sure a whole lot of people are going to go shopping that day. But again, a whole lot of people aren’t.”

What to do about your home projects

While Home Depot, Lowe’s, Wayfair, West Elm, and other home goods stores aren’t specifically called out, people might choose to buy only local and independent for that day—or maybe longer.

Despite inflation and high mortgage rates that have slowed big home renovations, home spending remains robust with 93% of homeowners planning projects in 2025, according to home service network Angi’s latest home spending report.

And with the mortgage “lock-in effect” waning, 67% of homeowners still expressed a preference for renovating their current home rather than moving, says the company.

Home Depot also projected an increase in sales in its latest earning’s call, with the company optimistic that homeowners will stop putting off home improvement projects.

For the full year ahead, the company said it predicts total sales to grow by 2.8% as consumers will tackle home projects.

Boomers and the Silent Generation are preferring to adapt their spaces for special needs and accessibility rather than leaving their homes.

Boomers spend the most on their homes, investing an average of $14,140 in home projects last year. They prioritized home improvements, spending $12,093—far more than any other generation—to enhance and upgrade their homes, says Angi.

If you’re in the middle of a home project but still want to participate in the blackout, there are alternatives to the big-box stores.

Etsy

Whether it is homemade gazebos, handcarved home gates, or bespoke spiral staircases, Etsy has thousands of independent home stores and artisans to choose from.

Be warned that the economic blackout does call for “no online shopping,” but if your project simply can’t be put off for another 24 hours, Etsy is an alternative to support local shop owners

Facebook Marketplace

You can find pretty much anything on Facebook Marketplace for your home improvement needs, from major appliances to actual houses.

Keep in mind, Facebook Marketplace is owned by Meta, one of those big corporation baddies that the blackout is meant to punish.

Ebay

Ebay, much like Facebook Marketplace, has anything the home improvement, decor or supply enthusiast could want, from power tools to lighting fixtures to flooring and tile.

The key is here to check the seller. If you want to make certain you’re ordering preloved goods or from an independent seller, you can check “used,” “refurbished,” or “open box,” under the “Condition” filter.

You may also want to check “USA only” under Location to increase your odds that you’re buying from a fellow resistor rather than a large corporation who makes their goods in China.

Craigslist

Craigslist has been around since long before Facebook Marketplace. Started by Bay Area native Craig Newmark in barely-Internet 1995, it is still going strong despite—or perhaps because of—its low-res style.

Here, you can find contractors and handymen, as well as wares like farm equipment, furniture, and antiques—most at much lower prices, sometimes even free.

Downsides include that most items are meant to be picked up in person, and many sellers want cash only. You have to do your due diligence on condition and return policies.

Thumbtack

Much like Angi, Thumbtack puts you in touch with home improvement and maintenance pros. While you can’t buy the product (tiles, flooring, etc.) from Thumbtack like you can from big box stores, they have all kinds of local pros—from landscapers to window washers—who can point you to independent retailers.

There’s also pros to assemble that tricky gym equipment, and there are private yoga instructors and nutritionists to round out your home wellness options.

Flea markets/garage and yard sales

With all of today’s second-hand and independent online buying options, it’s easy to forget that IRL (in real life) is how everyone used to do it.

Flea markets and garage sale items don’t require using any of the planet’s resources as, after all, the items already exist.

Yard sales don’t need any kind of middleman, so shopping them is a way to ensure that all funds go directly to a fellow industrial slave.

Flea Market Insiders is a good way to track down local flea markets and antique haunts. You can search by city, town, and key word. Brooklyn, for example, brought up seven permanent flea market sites.

As for garage and yard sales, those can be a bit more difficult to find. Your local Patch is a decent place to start. On the website or app, search for your zip code and then go to the “events” or “local” sections. Also try NextDoor.

The most low tech way to search is to drive or bike around town on a weekend. Make a day of it by grabbing a friend or relative, hitting the markets early, then having lunch.

This method might take longer than one-click shopping on a corporate behemoth; but this way, all your money goes to a non-billionaire—and you’ll have a lot more fun.