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

California Communities Embroiled in Supercenter Debates

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/california-communities-embroiled-supercenter-debates/

Voters in Contra Costa County, California, will decide in March whether to keep a law banning supercenters from unincorporated areas in the county. Contra Costa County is home to about one million people and lies east of the San Francisco Bay area.

The law, which was approved unanimously by the County Board of Supervisors in June, prohibits stores over 90,000 square feet that devote more than five percent of their floor space to groceries.

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

Irish Pharmacies Call for Limits on Corporate Ownership

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/irish-pharmacies-call-limits-corporate-ownership/

The Irish Pharmaceutical Union (IPU) has asked the government to adopt restrictions on the ownership of pharmacies similar to regulations in place in most European countries.

The IPU favors restricting pharmacy ownership to pharmacists, and capping the number of pharmacies any pharmacist can own at five. Eleven of the fifteen European Union countries, including France and Germany, have similar laws prohibiting corporate chains from operating drugstores.

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

Malaysia Freezes Hypermarket Construction

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/malaysia-freezes-hypermarket-construction/

Malaysia has placed a five-year ban on the construction of hypermarkets in Klang Valley, which includes Kuala Lumpur, and the states of Johor and Penang. New guidelines also lengthen the approval time for developers seeking to build hypermarkets in other areas from four months to two years.

Hypermarkets are stores larger than 8,000 square meters (86,000 square feet) that sell both department store merchandise and groceries, similar to Wal-Mart supercenters.

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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 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

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

Controversial Mall will not Boost Jobs or Revenue, Study Concludes

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/controversial-mall-will-not-boost-jobs-or-revenue-study-concludes/

Developers of a massive shopping center in Leominster, Massachusetts, claim the project will create 869 new jobs and boost the city’s property tax revenue by $400,000 annually.

But a study by a nationally recognized land use economist has found that the development will destroy about as many jobs as it creates and provide the city with only $51,000 in additional revenue. To put that into perspective, if the new revenue were used to cut residential property taxes, each of the city’s 17,000 households would save just $3 annually.

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

Homer, Alaska, Bans Big Box Stores

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/homer-alaska-bans-big-box-stores/

The town of Homer, Alaska, has capped retail store sizes at no more than 20,000 square feet in its central business district and 40,000 square feet in other commercial areas. The measure will remain in effect until the Planning Commission implements permanent regulations setting impact standards and size limits for large-scale retail, expected within six months. Continue reading