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
The first two maps show the density of Walmart stores by state. The third shows abandoned Walmart stores. Continue reading
Tesco — a British-based chain and the world’s fifth largest retailer —wants to open 100 stores in the western U.S. by early 2008 and another 400 outlets over the next few years. Continue reading
Interviews with 18 local suppliers—who produce everything from fresh vegetables, dairy products and meat, to prepared and processed foods—raise serious questions about Whole Foods’ commitment to promoting local food. While some farmers and vendors reported a positive experience, many have encountered corporate policies that impede, and even undermine, their success. Continue reading
This lecture was delivered by Stacy Mitchell at the 26th Annual E.F. Schumacher Lectures in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. Continue reading
For years local business owners and their supporters in the Arizona legislature have tried to put an end to the massive subsidies that cities in the Phoenix metro routinely dole out to chain retail developers. Bills to prohibit the giveaways were introduced in session after session, only to fail. But this year, lawmakers at last endorsed a measure that outlaws subsides for retail projects in Maricopa and Pinal counties, which encompass the Phoenix metro and include two-thirds of the state’s population. Continue reading
Caps on Carbon as a Greenhouse Gas Reduction Strategy
- David Morris discusses a state-based cap and share climate proposal
that combines environmental and equity goals. A MN state task force
must offer legislative recommendations by February 2008, broadcast on
Air America radio.
Continue reading
For Immediate Release: June 29, 2007 Contact: Daphne Loring, Maine Fair Trade Campaign, (207) 777-6387; Stacy Mitchell, Institute for Local Self-Reliance (207) 774-6792 Maine Enacts Landmark Law Requiring Economic Impact Studies of Big-Box Projects Augusta, ME – Maine has become the first state in the nation to require cities and towns to evaluate the impact… Continue reading
This DVD features ILSR’s Stacy Mitchell giving a talk in November 2006 about the hidden costs of big-box retail and what communities can do to rebuild local businesses. The event was sponsored by Local First Utah and filmed by Salt Lake City Television. (1 hr, 4 min). Continue reading
The Maine legislature has given its approval to a bill that requires cities and towns to evaluate the economic effects of large-scale retail development and to approve only those projects that will not have an adverse impact on jobs, local businesses, and municipal finances. The legislation is the first of its kind in the nation. Continue reading
In a unanimous decision yesterday, the California Supreme Court fortified efforts by cities across the state to restrict the development of big-box stores, favor small-scale retailers, and protect the vitality of downtowns. The ruling (Hernandez v. City of Hanford) upholds the authority of cities to adopt planning and zoning ordinances that have a direct impact on economic competition and that treat businesses differently based on the scale of their stores. Continue reading
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