McDonald's Faces Month-Long Boycott as Sales Already Struggle

McDonald's can't catch a break. After watching sales drop 3.6% this year, the fast-food giant now faces another organized boycott starting tomorrow.

The People's Union USA is calling for customers to avoid McDonald's for the entire month of August. This same group already hit the chain with a week-long boycott in June, contributing to a 2% drop in customer visits that month.

Why They're Mad

The group's beef with McDonald's goes way beyond burgers. They're targeting the chain for allegedly paying less in taxes than its own employees, jacking up prices while fighting unions, and backing away from diversity commitments.

"We have shown them our strength, and they have felt it," said People's Union USA founder John Schwarz in an Instagram video. "But my friends, we are far from done."

The timing couldn't be worse for McDonald's. CEO Chris Kempczinski already admitted that inflation and "macroeconomic uncertainty" hammered their sales harder than expected. Operating income dropped 3% as customers cut back on fast-food spending.

The Boycott Brigade

McDonald's isn't alone in the crosshairs. The People's Union USA wants consumers to skip Walmart and Lowe's throughout August too. They've been organizing monthly boycotts since February, hitting Amazon, Starbucks, and Home Depot in July.

Their strategy? Push customers toward local businesses and independent retailers instead of corporate giants. They claim these companies "exploit the people" and "laugh in the face of our struggle."

Voting with Wallets

This boycott movement reflects a bigger trend. A LendingTree survey found 31% of Americans have boycotted businesses over political or social issues.

"Any company that attempts to downplay the importance of politics in their customers' shopping choices does so at its own peril," warned LendingTree's Matt Schulz. "Your potential customers are listening closely."

For McDonald's, the June boycott already proved these efforts can bite. That 2% customer drop came despite the chain rolling out new deals and menu changes to win people back.

What McDonald's Faces

The August boycott threatens to deepen McDonald's troubles. They're fighting on multiple fronts:

• Rising food costs pushing prices higher

• Customers spending less on fast food

• Competition from other chains

• Now, organized resistance to their business practices

The group specifically calls out McDonald's for "anti-union tactics" and "exploitation of global supply chains." They also slam the company's environmental record and recent pullback from diversity initiatives.

The Bigger Picture

These boycotts represent something new—organized, sustained pressure on major corporations through social media mobilization. The People's Union USA has built a following by targeting household names month after month.

Their September calendar is already filling up with more corporate targets. The message is clear: change your practices or lose customers.

For McDonald's, already struggling with weak sales, a month-long boycott could accelerate their problems. They've tried combating high prices with value deals. They've tweaked menus to attract customers. But if people won't walk through the doors, none of that matters.

What Happens Next

Tomorrow kicks off 31 days of organized resistance against McDonald's. The People's Union USA will push followers to skip the Golden Arches entirely, directing them to local restaurants instead.

McDonald's hasn't publicly responded to this latest boycott threat. But with sales already down and customer counts falling, they can't afford to ignore it.

The fast-food giant built its empire on convenience and consistency. Now they're learning that in today's political climate, serving burgers isn't enough. Customers want to know where their money goes and what values it supports.

Whether this boycott significantly impacts McDonald's bottom line remains to be seen. But one thing's certain—the days of corporations avoiding political controversy by staying quiet are over. Silence itself has become a statement, and groups like The People's Union USA are making sure companies pay for it.