Politics is increasingly shaping where Americans shop, with a new survey finding that 51 percent of consumers stopped buying from a company because of its political stance in the past year. The shift is gaining significance days before the November 3 midterms, with 39 percent of surveyed shoppers saying they intend to align their spending more closely with their political beliefs. Companies may face greater scrutiny over their political positions and spending, although consumer-behavior experts caution that what people tell pollsters they intend to do does not always translate into what they ultimately buy.
The survey, conducted by SmartCustomer in partnership with Goods Unite Us, polled 1,115 American adults who shop at least every few weeks. It was fielded online on October 7 and balanced for age and gender at recruitment. The results represent a sharp change from a 2024 SmartCustomer survey, published when the company was known as Sitejabber, in which 30 percent reported boycotting a brand over politics and 62 percent said brands' political affiliations mattered little or not at all to their purchasing decisions.
There is an important methodological difference between the two surveys: the 2026 sample included adults 18 and older, while the 1,000 respondents to the 2024 poll were 21 and older. SmartCustomer says the three questions it compared between the surveys used the same wording and answer choices. Michael Lai, CEO of SmartCustomer, told Newsweek that he believes the election alone cannot explain the change.
"We believe the change in consumer behavior reflects a broader shift," Lai said, noting that the 2024 poll was conducted several months before a presidential election. "The midterms seem to act as an accelerant." Brian Potts, founder of Goods Unite Us, similarly characterized politically motivated spending as something that extends beyond election season, telling Newsweek that "consumer activism is a tool that's available year-round." The new findings suggest political disagreement can now lead shoppers not only to abandon a company but also to actively support another. While 51 percent said they had stopped buying from a company over its politics during the previous 12 months, 47 percent said they had purchased from a company specifically to support its political position.
Among the latter group, 83 percent also reported having boycotted a company. The behavior cuts across party lines, although not evenly. Sixty-four percent of Democratic-leaning respondents reported boycotting a company over politics, compared with 47 percent of Republican-leaning respondents and 32 percent of shoppers who leaned toward neither party.
Income was also associated with differences in the survey: 60 percent of those in households earning at least $100,000 reported a boycott, compared with 35 percent of those in households earning less than $50,000. Potts told Newsweek that political frustration and greater public attention to corporate political involvement may be contributing to the behavior. "There's a deep sense of frustration with the political system, and many people now see their purchasing power as one of the few levers they can still pull," he said.
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