The Power of the Purchase

Those of us who are outraged by recent legislation in Texas having to do with voter suppression, women’s reproductive rights and the move toward vigilantism have some reason to be hopeful. Some of the hopefulness lies in the legal battle these new laws will face; however, a more immediate source of hope is the power of the purchase.

As consumers we have far more power than we imagine. Corporations understand the bottom line which is the profit margin. When we exercise our power as consumers we can impact that bottom line in negative ways. We can boycott companies that contributed funds that helped pass the legislation. We can refuse to do business with companies that are based in Texas. Is it going to hurt? Probably. Is it going to be inconvenient? Most likely, but imagine how much it will impact women who do not have access to reproductive health care and people whose vote is marginalized because of district gerrymandering. Using the power of the purchase is a concrete way we can express our disdain for Texas politics. This becomes much more powerful when we write to the CEOs and let them know why we are boycotting their company.

Here are a few companies that supported the Texas legislation limiting women’s reproductive health care:

• AT&T
• Charter Communications
• USAA Insurance
• Farmers Insurance
• United Healthcare
• Anthem
• General Motors
• CVS Health
• Comcast/NBC Universal
• State Farm
• Berkshire Hathaway
• Chevron
• Union Pacific

According to Newsletter, Popular Information, these companies have also held themselves out as champions of women’s empowerment and equality.

Texas is offering numerous incentives for companies to do business there. Tax breaks, signing bonuses and promises of lower operating costs are just a few things corporations and the state of Texas are doing to entice businesses to relocate.  Here are businesses already located in Texas:

• Pizza Hut
• AT&T
• Keller Williams Realty
• Dell
• American Airlines
• Tenet Healthcare
• JC Penney
• Whole Foods
• Southwest Airlines
• Shell Petroleum
• Exxon Mobil
• Social Security
• Sysco
• Frito-Lay
• Kimberly Clark
• 7 Eleven
• Texas Instruments
• Michaels
• USAA Insurance
• GameStop
• Sally Beauty Holdings
• Dr. Pepper/Snapple
• iHeartMedia
• Chuck E. Cheese
• Pier 1 Imports
• The Container Store
• Valero Energy
• Six Flags

The list goes on and on and more companies will be moving to Texas to take advantage of the favorable business climate. Being an informed consumer can bring some pressure to bear especially when letters are attached to petitions and boycotts are publicized to engage more people.

Boycotts do have a successful track record. They contribute to progressive social change, as well as succeeding with more immediate goals. Reaching back to 1791, the English boycott of sugar produced by slaves caused the sale of sugar to fall between a third and half. Indian sugar, which was not produced by slaves, rose ten-fold in two years. It was one of the earliest examples of fair trade consumerism.

More recent examples of successful boycotts include:

• Twitter permanently suspended Donald Trump’s account due in large part to the threat of an advertising boycott of the social media platform by #BanTrumpforDemocracy.
• Following a ten year battle waged by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, Fortnum and Mason decided to stop selling foie gras. The campaign involved thousands of letters, advertising and widespread boycott of the product.
• After nearly ten years of campaigning by Palestinian human rights activists, Ben and Jerry’s announced it would stop selling ice cream in grocery stores in illegal Israeli settlements on Palestinian land.   Vermonters for Justice spearheaded the boycott call by meeting with Ben and Jerry’s officials, letter writing campaigns and boycotting Ben and Jerry’s ice cream.
• Mexico’s president cancelled the construction permits and water rights held by brewing company Constellation Brands. Mexicali Resiste called for a boycott of Constellation Brands in 2018 after it gained access to the desert region’s drinking water supply and threatened to use up to 20% of the city’s water.
• Multiple companies severed ties with the National Rifle Association citing ongoing gun violence and the stonewalling of meaningful gun control laws by the organization.  Delta Airlines, United Airlines, Hertz, Budget, Avis, Best Western and Wyndham Hotels all stated they would no longer offer discounts to NRA members. In addition First National Bank of Omaha announced it would end a Visa credit card it offered with NRA branding. All the companies faced boycotts for their links to the NRA after the association called for arming teachers and speaking out against student gun control activists in the wake of the Parkland school shooting.

There is power in the purchase. Choose a few companies you have supported and commit to boycotting them. Encourage your friends to do the same. Start a petition. A quick online search will give the name and address of the CEO. Write that person a letter and tell them why you are boycotting.

Put your money where your values are.

Resources

The Houston Chronicle

The Ethical Consumer

Wikipedia