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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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Article, Resource filed under Independent Business | Written by Stacy Mitchell | No Comments | Updated on Nov 5, 2008

Legislative Platform to Strengthen America’s Independent Businesses

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/retail-legislative-platform-strengthen-americas-independent-businesses/

Contrary to conventional wisdom, the demise of independent businesses is not the inevitable result of market forces and consumer choices. Public policy at all levels of government has played a major role in fueling the growth of large corporations at the expense of America’s independent small businesses. To level the playing field and allow small businesses to originate and flourish, we advocate the following policies. Continue reading

Article filed under Independent Business | Written by Stacy Mitchell | 1 Comment | Updated on Oct 15, 2008

Modest Changes in Shopping Habits would Produce Big Economic Benefits, Study Finds

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/modest-changes-shopping-habits-would-produce-big-economic-benefits-study-finds/

Shifting even a modest amount of consumer spending from chains to locally owned businesses would have a major impact on the West Michigan economy, according to a new study. Continue reading

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Article filed under Independent Business | Written by Stacy Mitchell | No Comments | Updated on Sep 12, 2008

Pennsylvania Seeds a New Crop of Local Grocery Stores

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/pennsylvania-seeds-new-crop-local-grocery-stores/

The Pennsylvania Fresh Food Financing Initiative, a four-year-old, statewide grant and loan program for grocery store development, has financed over 50 independent grocery stores and small food retailers in underserved areas of the state. Continue reading

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Article filed under Independent Business | Written by Stacy Mitchell | No Comments | Updated on Aug 1, 2008

Sharp Rise in Shopping Center Vacancies

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/sharp-rise-shopping-center-vacancies/

Shopping center construction continues at a furious pace, even as chain retailers announce plans to close more than 6,500 outlets and vacancy rates soar. Continue reading

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Article filed under Independent Business | Written by Stacy Mitchell | No Comments | Updated on Jul 18, 2008

Low Prices, But at what Cost?

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/low-prices-what-cost/

This commentary was originally published in the Minneapolis Star Tribune. What Wal-Mart has saved poor and middle-income Americans —and there’s reason to doubt the depth and durability of those discounts — it has taken that and more from them in diminished job opportunities and reduced income. Continue reading

filed under General | Written by Stacy Mitchell | No Comments | Updated on Jun 19, 2008

Bigger Bang from Independents’ Bucks

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/bigger-bang-independents-bucks/

The Capital Region’s future would be much better served by fostering the growth of locally owned businesses, rather than chasing after big-name national retailers, as was suggested in Chris Churchill’s May 11 article, "Trendsetter shops bypass region."

Research shows local businesses deliver significantly greater economic returns for a community than national chains. A study conducted in Chicago by the firm Civic Economics found that every $100 spent at a national chain generated an average of $43 in additional economic activity in the local area. That same $100 spent at a locally owned store or restaurant created an average of $68 worth of new local economic activity.

Why do local businesses deliver so much more economic bang for our buck?

Continue reading

Article filed under Independent Business | Written by Stacy Mitchell | No Comments | Updated on Jun 19, 2008

Bigger Bang from Independents’ Bucks

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/bigger-bang-from-independents-bucks/

Originally published in the Times Union.

The Capital Region’s future would be much better served by fostering the growth of locally owned businesses, rather than chasing after big-name national retailers. Continue reading

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filed under Independent Business | Written by Stacy Mitchell | No Comments | Updated on Apr 25, 2008

Wal-Mart Takes Greenwashing to a New Level

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/walmart-takes-greenwashing-new-level/

What makes Wal-Mart’s initiatives more challenging to confront than simple greenwashing is that they have just enough substance to have distracted many people, including a number of leading environmentalists, from the fundamental fact that, as a system of distributing goods to people, big-box retailing is as intrinsically unsustainable as clear-cut logging is as a method of harvesting trees. Continue reading