You’ve seen the posts. Maybe it was a grainy screenshot on Facebook or a fast-scrolling TikTok video claiming there is a definitive home depot boycott list you need to follow before your next weekend DIY project. It’s confusing. One week, the internet is mad because a founder said something about politics. The next, a different group is upset because of a "woke" diversity policy. Honestly, it’s a lot to keep track of if you just want to buy some 2x4s and a bucket of joint compound without feeling like you’re accidentally funding a political war chest.
Public sentiment is messy.
The reality of these boycotts is rarely as simple as a "yes" or "no" checkbox. Because Home Depot is such a massive entity, it sits right in the crosshairs of the American culture war. If you’re looking for the actual reasons people are walking away—or why they’re staying—you have to look at the money, the founders, and the corporate PR machine that tries to keep everyone happy while usually making someone mad.
The "Co-Founder" Confusion and the Home Depot Boycott List
Most of the heat usually starts with Bernie Marcus. He’s one of the original guys who started the company back in the late 70s. For years, every time Marcus opens his mouth or writes a check to a political candidate, a new version of the home depot boycott list starts circulating. People get the idea that buying a drill at the local store is the same as handing Marcus a campaign donation.
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But here is the thing: Bernie Marcus retired in 2002.
He’s over 90 years old. While he still owns stock, he isn't in the boardroom making calls on which lumber prices to hike or which employees to hire. When he went on the record with the Financial Times or Fox News expressing support for Donald Trump, it sparked an immediate backlash. Critics argued that the wealth he generated from the company is being used to fuel specific political agendas. On the flip side, supporters of those same agendas started "buycotts," deliberately shopping there to counter the protesters.
It’s a cycle. It repeats every election year.
You also have Ken Langone, another co-founder who is famously outspoken. His political donations often land him on lists curated by activist groups like The Lincoln Project or Grab Your Wallet. If you are trying to avoid companies whose founders support conservative causes, Home Depot is almost always at the top of your spreadsheet. But if you are looking at the current CEO, Ted Decker, the vibe is a bit different. The corporate entity itself tries to stay much more neutral than the retired guys who started it.
Diversity, Equity, and the "Anti-Woke" Backlash
Lately, the home depot boycott list hasn't just been coming from the left. It’s coming from the right, too. This is the new era of corporate headaches. In 2023 and 2024, conservative commentators began flagging Home Depot for its internal "DEI" (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) materials.
There was a specific incident involving a flyer from a Canadian division of the company that discussed "white privilege" and "check your privilege." It went viral. Fast. Within 48 hours, hashtags were trending, and people were filming themselves walking into Lowe’s instead.
Home Depot’s corporate office eventually clarified that the flyer wasn't part of a mandatory global training program, but the damage was done. For a certain segment of the population, that one flyer was proof enough that the company had "gone woke." This puts the brand in a bizarre spot. They are simultaneously boycotted by liberals for their founders' politics and by conservatives for their HR department's social stances. It is a no-win scenario for their PR team.
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How Home Depot Compares to Lowe’s
People often jump ship from one to the other, thinking they are making a massive moral pivot. It’s funny, actually. If you look at the political contribution data from OpenSecrets, both companies tend to spread their money around.
Lowe’s isn't exactly a progressive utopia, and Home Depot isn't a monolith of one ideology. Historically, Home Depot’s PAC (Political Action Committee) has leaned more toward Republican candidates, often citing "pro-business" legislation and tax reform as the primary drivers. Lowe’s often follows a similar, though sometimes slightly more balanced, path.
- Home Depot tends to prioritize candidates who focus on trade and retail deregulation.
- Lowe’s has occasionally pulled back from certain social initiatives faster than Home Depot when the heat gets turned up.
- Both companies face identical pressure from shareholders to maximize profit, which usually means staying out of the "culture war" unless forced in.
If you’re switching stores because of the home depot boycott list, you’ve got to ask if you’re actually moving your money to a company that aligns with your values, or if you’re just switching orange for blue. Often, the differences are negligible when you get down to the actual lobbying records.
The Environmental Angle
Then there’s the stuff that isn't about the ballot box. Some environmental groups keep Home Depot on a "watch list" for different reasons entirely. Old-growth forests.
Groups like Stand.earth have campaigned against the retailer for years regarding where their wood comes from. The claim is that the company doesn't do enough to ensure its lumber isn't being sourced from primary forests in places like the Canadian Boreal or the Amazon. To be fair, Home Depot has made some pretty big "sustainability" pledges. They’ve committed to sourcing more FSC-certified wood, but activists argue the pace is too slow.
If your version of a home depot boycott list is based on the planet, your grievances are likely about clear-cutting and supply chain transparency rather than who the co-founder likes for president. It’s a completely different layer of the conversation.
Does Boycotting Actually Work?
Honestly? Usually not in the way people hope.
When a boycott starts, the stock might dip for a week because investors get nervous about the "bad press." But Home Depot’s revenue is in the hundreds of billions. They are a "too big to fail" staple of the American economy. Unless there is a massive, sustained shift in where professional contractors (the "Pro" customers) spend their money, a few thousand people buying their lightbulbs elsewhere doesn't move the needle much.
The "Pro" customer is the backbone of their business. These are the guys spending $50,000 a year on materials. They generally care more about stock levels, bulk discounts, and the speed of the checkout line than they do about a flyer in the breakroom or a founder’s podcast appearance.
That doesn't mean your personal choice doesn't matter. It just means the "list" is often more about personal ethics than it is about bankrupting a giant.
The Nuance Nobody Talks About
We love to simplify things. We want a "good guys" list and a "bad guys" list. But Home Depot employs nearly 500,000 people. Many of those people are your neighbors. They are the folks in the orange aprons who actually know how to fix your leaky faucet.
When a boycott gains steam, it's rarely the billionaires who feel it first. It’s the hourly workers who see their hours cut because foot traffic is down. It's a weird ethical knot. You want to send a message to the top, but the "message" often hits the bottom first.
Actionable Steps for the Socially Conscious DIYer
If you’re staring at a home depot boycott list and trying to decide what to do, don't just react to a meme. Do a little bit of your own digging. It takes five minutes.
- Check the PACs: Go to OpenSecrets.org and search for Home Depot. See where their corporate money is actually going this year. Is it going to candidates you hate? If so, there’s your answer.
- Support Local: If you want to avoid the big-box drama entirely, look for a local lumber yard or a True Value/Ace Hardware. Those are often independently owned franchises. Your money stays in your town.
- Read the Sustainability Report: If you care about trees, look at their annual ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) report. See if they are actually meeting their wood-sourcing goals or if it's just marketing fluff.
- Decide Your "Red Line": Is it a retired founder's opinion? Is it the company's actual lobbying? Is it their HR policy? Everyone has a different breaking point. Figure out what yours is instead of letting an internet list decide for you.
At the end of the day, the home depot boycott list is a tool. Whether it’s an effective one depends entirely on what you’re trying to achieve. If you want to change the world, a boycott is a tiny start. If you just want to sleep better knowing your money isn't supporting a specific cause, then moving your business to a local shop is probably the most direct path to peace of mind. Just don't be surprised when the "other" store ends up on a different list next month. That’s just the way the world works now.