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

Austin Retailers Urge Shoppers to Ditch Chains for a Day

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/austin-retailers-urge-shoppers-ditch-chains-day/

Independent retailers in Austin, Texas, are calling on local residents to break the chain store habit by shopping exclusively at locally owned businesses on Saturday, November 15.

The one-day event—known as Austin Unchained—is being organized by the Austin Independent Business Alliance (AIBA), a association of some 200 locally owned businesses. The group is promoting Austin Unchained through tee-shirts, flyers, and posters.

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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 admin | No Comments | Updated on Sep 1, 2003

As Police Costs Rise, Towns Reconsider Big Boxes

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/police-costs-rise-towns-reconsider-big-boxes/

"When . . . a large development wants to be in your town, you see the tax values surrounding that. . . I think the tendency is to think this is really going to give us a solid foundation," George Fowler, mayor of Pineville, North Carolina, told the Charlotte Observer. "But you don’t realize at that particular point the impact it’s going to have on the services you have to provide."

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

Small Manufacturers Denounce Big Retailers

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/small-manufacturers-denounce-big-retailers/

Big retailers are increasingly coming under fire from small and mid-sized manufacturers. Last month, more than 1,000 employees and owners of small manufacturing firms attended a rally in Connecticut to denounce Wal-Mart, Home Depot, Target, and other chains for forcing large manufacturers to move their factories to China. Continue reading

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

Wal-Mart Distribution Centers Capture $150 Million in Subsidies

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/walmart-distribution-centers-capture-150-million-subsidies/

Since the 1980s, Wal-Mart has received at least $150 million in local, state, and federal subsidies to build 47 distribution centers in 32 states, according to a study by The Palm Beach Post.

Onlythose subsidies that have been quantified in published reports were counted. "That number likely grows by tens of millions when unquantified breaks, such as government bond financing for construction, and ongoing breaks, such as those given to businesses in enterprise zones, are included," the newspaper notes.

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Article filed under Independent Business | Written by admin | 1 Comment | Updated on Sep 1, 2003

Radio Stations Refuse to Pull Anti-Wal-Mart Ads

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/radio-stations-refuse-pull-antiwalmart-ads/

Five radio stations in St. Louis are refusing Wal-Mart’s demand that they pull ads critical of the company’s labor practices. The ads, sponsored by the United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 655, discuss working conditions, wages, and lack of health care at Wal-Mart stores. Wal-Mart claims the ads are false and misleading, but the UFCW stands behind their accuracy. Continue reading