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Article filed under Independent Business | Written by Stacy Mitchell | No Comments | Updated on Aug 1, 2002

NEW YORKERS FIGHT CHAIN INCURSION

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/new-yorkers-fight-chain-incursion/

"We have a strong sense of community here," says Krista Wergeland, a resident of Manhattan’s Upper West Side and member of a neighborhood group working to block an incursion of fast-food restaurants and chain stores.

Long known for being unique and down-to-earth, the Upper West Side is increasingly popular with national retailers like Starbucks, the Gap, and Barnes & Noble. "You wake up and ask yourself: What’s happening to the identity of this community?" said one resident.

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Article filed under Independent Business | Written by Stacy Mitchell | 1 Comment | Updated on Jul 1, 2002

Homegrown Economics: In Boulder, Local Businesses Stay Ahead of the Chains

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/homegrown-economics-boulder-local-businesses-stay-ahead-chains/

A profile of the first Independent Business Alliance.  

Plotting the overthrow of the franchised world, bookstore owner David Bolduc and political organizer Jeff Milchen strategize on how to preserve hometown businesses in Boulder, Colorado, and around the country. Continue reading

Article filed under Independent Business | Written by admin | No Comments | Updated on May 1, 2002

INDEPENDENT FUNERAL HOMES REBOUND

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/independent-funeral-homes-rebound/

Just a few years ago, industry observers were predicting the demise of independent funeral homes. Four giant companies were buying up thousands of independent mortuaries and rapidly consolidating the industry. By processing bodies at large regional embalming plants, buying in bulk, and sharing employees across multiple homes, the chains were expected to gain a significant financial edge over their independent competitors.

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Article filed under Independent Business | Written by admin | No Comments | Updated on May 1, 2002

Local Bookstore Files Antitrust Suit Against Chains

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/local-bookstore-files-antitrust-suit-against-chains/

The now defunct Intimate Bookshop of North Carolina has filed suit against Barnes & Noble and Borders Books alleging that the chains used their market power to pressure publishers for special discounts and terms unavailable to other retailers.

According to documents filed in the case by Intimate’s attorney, Carl Person, the chains received an effective discount of 60 percent off the cover price, compared to only about 40-46 percent given to independent bookstores.

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Article filed under Independent Business | Written by Stacy Mitchell | No Comments | Updated on May 1, 2002

Vancouver Coalition Fights Walmart

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/vancouver-coalition-fights-walmart/

A coalition of neighborhood, small business, and environmental groups has gathered more than 4,000 petition signatures against a proposed Wal-Mart store in Vancouver, Canada. Continue reading

Article filed under Independent Business | Written by admin | No Comments | Updated on May 1, 2002

WAL-MART DEVELOPER’S TACTICS QUESTIONED IN NEW ORLEANS

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/walmart-developers-tactics-questioned-new-orleans/

Rumors of a citizens lawsuit are beginning to circulate in New Orleans less than a month after the city council approved a 200,000 square foot suburban-style Wal-Mart supercenter. The 17-acre development will be situated along Tchoupitoulas Street in the Lower Garden District, a historic neighborhood wedged between a bend in the Mississippi River and downtown.

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Article filed under Independent Business | Written by Stacy Mitchell | No Comments | Updated on May 1, 2002

ARCATA PROHIBITS FORMULA RESTAURANTS

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/arcata-prohibits-formula-restaurants/

In mid-May, the city council of Arcata, California voted 4-to-1 to enact a citywide cap on the number formula restaurants. The measure must pass a second reading on June 5. It will become law 30 days later.

The ordinance defines a formula restaurant as one that shares the same design, menu, trademark, and other characteristics with twelve or more other establishments. The ordinance bars a formula restaurant from locating within the city unless it is replacing an existing formula restaurant at the same location.

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Article filed under Independent Business | Written by Stacy Mitchell | No Comments | Updated on May 1, 2002

OCEAN BEACH PLANNING BOARD ENDORSES FORMULA BUSINESS BAN

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/ocean-beach-planning-board-endorses-formula-business-ban/

Six weeks after an advisory referendum won broad support from residents, the Ocean Beach, California, planning board voted 8-to-4 in early May to recommend that the city council adopt an ordinance banning all formula restaurants and retail businesses.

Ocean Beach is a neighborhood of San Diego with a population of about 15,000. Each of the city’s neighborhoods has its own master plan and elected planning board.

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Article filed under Independent Business | Written by Stacy Mitchell | No Comments | Updated on May 1, 2002

SAN FRANCISCO MAYOR VETOES BIG BOX LAW

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/san-francisco-mayor-vetoes-big-box-law/

San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown vetoed an ordinance to require greater scrutiny of big box development. The measure passed the Board of Supervisors on a 7-to-4 vote in March. Eight votes are needed to override a mayoral veto.

The citywide ordinance would have required retail development projects larger than 50,000 square feet to undergo an impact review and obtain a conditional use permit before proceeding.

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Article filed under Independent Business | Written by admin | No Comments | Updated on May 1, 2002

AUSTIN INDEPENDENT BUSINESS ALLIANCE TAKES OFF

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/austin-independent-business-alliance-takes/

Steve Bercu, owner of Book People, a large independent bookstore in Austin, Texas, has been increasingly concerned about the decline of the city’s homegrown businesses. Like the rest of the country, Austin has seen as steady influx of national chains. Meanwhile, the local businesses so central to the city’s sense of place and character are disappearing.

About a year-and-a-half ago, Bercu learned about the Boulder Independent Business Alliance (BIBA) in Boulder, Colorado and decided to replicate the approach in Austin.

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