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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 filed under Independent Business | Written by Stacy Mitchell | No Comments | Updated on Nov 1, 2003

California Appeals Court Upholds Formula Business Law

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/california-appeals-court-upholds-formula-business-law/

A California Appeals Court has upheld a local ordinance restricting the proliferation of formula retail businesses in Coronado, a city of 24,000 people near San Diego. The court ruled that the ordinance does not violate the US Constitution’s commerce and equal protection clauses, and is a valid use of municipal authority under California state law.

The ordinance, enacted in December 2000, requires anyone seeking to open a formula retail business to obtain a special permit.

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10 Reasons Why Vermont's Homegrown Economy Matters
Resource filed under Independent Business | Written by Stacy Mitchell | No Comments | Updated on Oct 1, 2003

10 Reasons Why Vermont’s Homegrown Economy Matters: And 50 Proven Ways to Revive It

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/10-reasons-why-vermonts-homegrown-economy-matters-and-50-proven-ways-revive-it/

This report, a collaboration between the Institute of Local Self-Reliance and The Preservation Trust of Vermont, outlines why locally owned businesses matter and provides practical ways to build a homegrown economy. Most strategies are applicable anywhere, not just Vermont. Continue reading

Article filed under Independent Business | Written by Stacy Mitchell | No Comments | Updated on Sep 8, 2003

Mad in the USA

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/mad-in-the-usa/

Mad in the USA by Stacy Mitchell Originally published on Alternet, September 8, 2003 More than 1,000 people attended a rally a few weeks ago in Connecticut to demand fair trade and denounce the sweatshop buying habits of big retailers like Wal-Mart. The speakers were passionate, the crowd pumped. But this rally differed from the… Continue reading

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Resource filed under Independent Business | Written by Stacy Mitchell | 1 Comment | Updated on Sep 1, 2003

The Economic Impact of Locally Owned Businesses vs. Chains: A Case Study in Midcoast Maine

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/economic-impact-locally-owned-businesses-vs-chains-case-study-midcoast-maine/

Three times as much money stays in the local economy when you buy goods and services from locally owned businesses instead of large chain stores, according to this analysis, which tracked the revenue and expenditures of eight locally owned businesses in Midcoast Maine and compared their economic impact with that of a large big-box retailer. Continue reading

Article filed under Independent Business | Written by Stacy Mitchell | No Comments | Updated on Sep 1, 2003

Minnesota Town’s Ad Campaign Takes Aim at Chains

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/minnesota-towns-ad-campaign-takes-aim-chains/

"Secede from Starbucks Nation" is the tagline of a new advertising campaign by the small town of Excelsior, Minnesota. The tongue-and-cheek ads take jabs at chain stores and promote Excelsior as a place where one-of-a-kind, locally owned businesses are embraced.

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Article filed under Independent Business | Written by Stacy Mitchell | No Comments | Updated on Sep 1, 2003

Retail Sprawl Impairing Nation’s Waterways

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/retail-sprawl-impairing-nations-waterways/

As big box stores and chain retailers consume more and more undeveloped land, polluted runoff from their parking lots is placing an ever greater burden on the nation’s rivers, lakes, and coastal waters. Storm water control measures and filtration systems produce only modest improvement, according to experts. A better solution is to channel commerce back into compact downtowns and neighborhood business districts, which are far less polluting. Continue reading

Article filed under Independent Business | Written by Stacy Mitchell | No Comments | Updated on Sep 1, 2003

Santa Monica Mandates Small Storefronts on Promenade

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/santa-monica-mandates-small-storefronts-promenade/

In an effort to prevent further consolidation of small storefronts into large chain outlets along the Third Street Promenade, the city of Santa Monica has adopted an ordinance that limits stores to no more than 50 linear feet of street frontage. The City Council has also directed city staff to compile data on the number of formula businesses in the district and draft options for limiting their proliferation.

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Article filed under Independent Business | Written by Stacy Mitchell | No Comments | Updated on Jul 1, 2003

Carbondale Voters Defeat Shopping Center

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

On July 15, citizens in Carbondale, Colorado, voted 57 to 43 percent to reject a 252,000-square-foot shopping center anchored by a Target store. The hotly debated referendum produced the largest election turnout in the town’s history.

Carbondale is a community of 5,200 people in the Roaring Fork Valley between Glenwood Springs and Aspen. Carbondale has a lively downtown of locally owned businesses, including hardware, book, and clothing stores.

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