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About Stacy Mitchell

Stacy Mitchell is a senior researcher with the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, where she directs initiatives on independent business and community banking. She is the author of Big-Box Swindle and also produces a popular monthly newsletter, the Hometown Advantage Bulletin.  Connect with her on twitter and catch her recent TEDx Talk: Why We Can’t Shop Our Way to a Better Economy. More

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Stack of books
Featured Resource filed under Independent Business | Written by Stacy Mitchell | 65 Comments | Updated on Dec 22, 2011

Key Studies on Big-Box Retail & Independent Business

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/key-studies-walmart-and-bigbox-retail/

We have compiled the best research on how big-box retailers and independent businesses affect communities and local economies. You will find summaries of the findings of dozens of studies that examine the impact of Walmart and other big retailers on jobs, small businesses, tax revenue, poverty rates, and more, as well as research on the social and economic contributions of independent businesses. Continue reading

Vacant Walmart
Featured Article filed under Independent Business | Written by Stacy Mitchell | 2 Comments | Updated on Nov 29, 2011

Can you say ‘Sprawl’? Walmart’s Biggest Climate Impact Goes Ignored

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/can-you-say-sprawl-walmarts-biggest-climate-impact-goes-ignored/

Even as Walmart has been hyping its supposed environmental epiphany, it has continued to unroll vast, low-rise supercenters at breakneck speed. Since 2005, Walmart has added more than 1,100 new supercenters, almost all built on land that hadn’t been developed previously. Continue reading

thenation
ILSR Press Room filed under Banking | Written by Stacy Mitchell | No Comments | Updated on Nov 28, 2011

The Oregon Trail to Banking Local

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/oregon-trail-banking-local/

The Nation,  November 28, 2011 Before there was “Move Your Money” there was “Fire Your Bank.”  It was January 2009, and 3000 miles from the epicenter of the financial meltdown, 800 people attended an economic justice town hall in Portland, sponsored by Jobs with Justice, the Oregon Working Families Party (OWFP) and others. People wanted… Continue reading

Walmart store aisle green label
Featured Article filed under Independent Business | Written by Stacy Mitchell | No Comments | Updated on Nov 22, 2011

Walmart’s promised green product rankings fall off the radar

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/walmarts-promised-green-product-rankings-fall-off-the-radar/

In 2009, Walmart unveiled grand plans to create a Sustainability Index that would, within five years, result in green labels for all the products it sells. Two and a half years later, the project has fallen far short and seems unlikely to ever deliver a green rating system. Nor is there much evidence that greener products are edging out more damaging ones on Walmart’s shelves. Continue reading

walmart-turtle-carousel-a
Featured Article filed under Independent Business | Written by Stacy Mitchell | No Comments | Updated on Nov 18, 2011

Think Walmart uses 100% clean energy? Try 2%

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/think-walmart-uses-100-clean-energy-try-2/

In 2005, Walmart announced that it was setting a goal of being “supplied by 100 percent renewable energy” — and has since received a steady stream of positive press for its commitment. But six years later, the giant retailer still derives less than 2 percent of its electricity from its solar projects and wind-power purchases. At its current pace of converting to renewables, it would take Walmart about 300 years to get to 100 percent clean power. Continue reading

broken-beach-chair-flickr-camillac-400w
Featured Article filed under Independent Business | Written by Stacy Mitchell | No Comments | Updated on Nov 11, 2011

Is your stuff falling apart? Thank Walmart

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/is-your-stuff-falling-apart-thank-walmart/

Chairs don’t hold together like they used to. Neither do toys, toasters, vacuum cleaners, or Levi’s. Walmart, with its relentless demands that manufacturers cut costs, has been a major force in making our products shoddier — and that has us heading back to the store more often to buy still more stuff. Continue reading

crowd
Featured Article filed under Independent Business | Written by Stacy Mitchell | 1 Comment | Updated on Nov 8, 2011

Crowdfunding Bill Would Allow People to Invest in Local Businesses

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/crowdfunding-bill-would-allow-people-to-invest-in-local-businesses/

Under a measure that passed the House last Thursday, you may soon be able to invest in a portfolio of your favorite independent businesses. The bill, which won bipartisan support and cleared the House on a 407-17 vote, would overturn long-standing Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) rules that make it nearly impossible for small businesses to raise capital (or borrow money) from their customers and communities. Continue reading

walmart-stopsign
Featured Article filed under Independent Business | Written by Stacy Mitchell | No Comments | Updated on Nov 7, 2011

Walmart’s greenwash: Why the retail giant is still unsustainable

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/walmarts-greenwash-why-the-retail-giant-is-still-unsustainable/

The world’s biggest retailer has gotten lots of great press since it launched its sustainability campaign six years ago, but in many key areas it hasn’t actually gotten greener. It’s pumping out more CO2, paving over more land, and selling more flimsy products than ever before. In this Grist special series, ILSR’s Stacy Mitchell takes a hard look at Walmart’s real environmental impact. Continue reading

Home of the Economy
Featured Article filed under Banking | Written by Stacy Mitchell | 1 Comment | Updated on Sep 15, 2011

How State Banks Bring the Money Home

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/how-state-banks-bring-money-home/

One of the most significant consequences of the consolidation of banking over the last decade is how much it has hindered the economy’s ability to create jobs. There’s no single solution to this problem, but one of the most promising strategies involves creating state-owned banks that can bolster the lending capacity of local banks, helping them grow and multiply. Continue reading