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Article filed under Independent Business | Written by admin | No Comments | Updated on Feb 1, 2004

Britain’s Main Streets Fast Becoming Ghost Towns

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/britains-main-streets-fast-becoming-ghost-towns/

"A new retail feudalism is emerging across Britain as a handful of brands take over our shopping. We are witnessing the slow death of small independent retailers," contends Andrew Simms, policy director for the London-based New Economics Foundation (NEF) and co-author of a new report called "Ghost Town Britain: The threat from economic globalisation to livelihoods, liberty and local economic freedom."

According to the report, between 1995 and 2000, Britain lost one-fifth of its Main Street enterprises.

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Article filed under Independent Business | Written by admin | No Comments | Updated on Feb 1, 2004

Wal-Mart Internal Audit Finds Thousands of Labor Violations

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/walmart-internal-audit-finds-thousands-labor-violations/

An internal audit obtained by The New York Times documents thousands of violations of state labor laws at Wal-Mart stores. The audit, performed by the company in 2000, uncovered 1,371 violations of child labor laws, 60,767 cases of missed breaks, and 15,705 instances when employees skipped meals at 128 stores during a one-week period.

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Article filed under Independent Business | Written by admin | No Comments | Updated on Feb 1, 2004

Supercenters in Southern California: Boon or Bane?

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/supercenters-southern-california-boon-or-bane/

As Wal-Mart seeks out locations in central Los Angeles and the city council considers a measure that would ban supercenters from much of the city, a debate is brewing concerning the costs and benefits of supercenters for residents of low-income urban neighborhoods. Two dueling studies examining the impact of supercenters in southern California were recently released.

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Article filed under Independent Business | Written by admin | No Comments | Updated on Feb 1, 2004

California Laws Targeting Supercenters Raise Concerns

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/california-laws-targeting-supercenters-raise-concerns/

Rather than capping the size of all retail stores, a growing number of cities and counties in California are banning supercenters in particular. These are generally defined as stores over 90,000 or 100,000 square feet that devote more than 5 or 10 percent of their floor area to non-taxable grocery items.

Under these ordinances, developers can still build massive box stores, so long as they do not combine department store merchandise anda full supermarket under one roof. Continue reading

Article filed under Independent Business | Written by admin | No Comments | Updated on Feb 1, 2004

Denver Drops Plan to Evict Asian Businesses for Wal-Mart

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/denver-drops-plan-evict-asian-businesses-walmart/

Following an outcry from local and national activists, the city of Denver has abandoned plans to condemn a shopping center, evict more than a dozen Asian-owned business, and transfer the property to a Wal-Mart developer.

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Article filed under Independent Business | Written by admin | No Comments | Updated on Feb 1, 2004

Stoughton, Wisconsin, Adopts Big Box Limits

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/stoughton-wisconsin-adopts-big-box-limits/

After months of pressure from a vocal citizens group, the City Council in Stoughton, Wisconsin, adopted an ordinance banning stores over 110,000 square feet.

Stoughton is a community of 12,500 about 20 miles southeast of Madison. Last year, after Wal-Mart announced plans to close its 40,000-square-foot Stoughton outlet to build a 183,000-square-foot supercenter on undeveloped land, a citizens group called Uff-da Wal-Mart formed. Uff-da is a Norwegian expression of disdain.

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Article filed under Independent Business | Written by admin | No Comments | Updated on Feb 1, 2004

Buy Local Campaign Launched in Northwest Washington

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/buy-local-campaign-launched-northwest-washington/

More than 250 independent businesses in and around the city of Bellingham in northwest Washington have joined together to urge residents to "think local first" when shopping.

Organized by Sustainable Connections, a coalition of locally owned businesses, the campaign aims to build public awareness of the benefits of supporting homegrown enterprises. "People don’t always make the connection between their quality of life and the choices they make through their purchases," said Sustainable Connections director Michelle Long.

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Article filed under Independent Business | Written by admin | No Comments | Updated on Feb 1, 2004

Judge Halts Construction of Superstores in Bakersfield

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/judge-halts-construction-superstores-bakersfield/

A California Superior Court judge has suspended construction of two Wal-Mart supercenters in Bakersfield, California, indefinitely.

Judge Kenneth Twisselman ruled that the city council had not adequately examined the urban blight that could result if existing big box stores close after the new supercenters open. Vacant big box stores, the judge said, have significant environmental impacts that the city is required to consider as part of its environmental review process.

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Article filed under Independent Business | Written by admin | No Comments | Updated on Feb 1, 2004

Hood River Rejects Wal-Mart Supercenter

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/hood-river-rejects-walmart-supercenter/

In early January, the Hood River, Oregon, County Commission voted 3-2 to reject Wal-Mart’s application to build a 186,000-square-foot supercenter.

"This was a marvelous and gutsy decision by the board," said Kate Huseby, co-chair of the Citizens for Responsible Growth (CRG), a grassroots group that has fought the proposal in this community of 5,000 people in north central Oregon for more than two years. "We applaud them for doing their homework, and making the tough vote."

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Article filed under Independent Business | Written by admin | No Comments | Updated on Jan 13, 2004

Wal-Mart’s False Plays at Ignorance

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/walmarts-false-plays-ignorance/

By Stacy Mitchell
originally published in Progressive Trail, January 13, 2004

In the Wal-Mart economy, where an inexhaustible supply of cheap consumer goods has become more important than family wages for American workers, it should come as little surprise that a company which is known for its ability to track the sale of products down to the penny across a far-flung empire, would plead ignorance when accused of violating labor laws.

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