Social Media Protest Causes Returns Surge at Home Depot Stores
Activists coordinated an online action on November 24, purchasing inexpensive ice scrapers at a Monrovia Home Depot and immediately returning them to create long return lines and disrupt checkout operations. The tactic, which was amplified by videos and social posts, spread to other cities and raises concerns for store teams and corporate communications about future disruptions and reputational risk.
On November 24 activists staged a coordinated buy in at a Home Depot in Monrovia in a protest designed to clog store operations. Organizers used social media to instruct supporters to purchase inexpensive ice scrapers, a symbolic reference to ICE, and then return the items immediately, producing long return lines and interruptions at checkout areas. Coverage that day highlighted videos and social posts from the event, and organizers messaging included NDLONs call to "scrape ICE out of Home Depot."
The event was not confined to a single location. The same tactic was adopted in other cities, where related demonstrations produced similar scenes of crowded service counters and frustrated customers waiting to process returns. Social amplification of the protests increased the visibility of the action, enabling rapid replication and encouraging further demonstrations and online calls for boycotts.
For hourly workers and store managers the immediate effects were tangible. Long return lines pulled cashier and customer service capacity away from sales functions, extended employee hours in service areas, and created a need for on the spot problem solving in stores that were not staffed for surge volumes. Store teams faced increased stress as they worked to maintain regular business operations while responding to an organized tactic that targeted routine returns processes.
The broader implications extend beyond localized operational strain. The visible nature of the protests and their spread through social platforms heighten reputational pressures for corporate communications and store leadership. Companies may need to reassess return policies, staffing models for busy periods, and public messaging to address both the logistical fallout and customer perception. For workers the prospect of repeated organized disruptions can mean more uncertain shift conditions, shifting priorities during shifts, and potential conflicts with customers upset by delays.
As the tactic continues to circulate online, Home Depot and other large retailers are likely to face decisions about how to balance customer returns rights with protections against actions that intentionally exploit those processes to disrupt operations. Store teams, already tasked with customer service and loss prevention, will be on the front lines of any operational adjustments the company pursues.
