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

Arizona Coalition Urges, Think Independently, Buy Locally

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/arizona-coalition-urges-think-independently-buy-locally/

A new coalition of more than 70 independent businesses in the Phoenix metro area is urging residents to "Think Independently, Buy Locally."

The coalition, known as Arizona Chain Reaction, grew out of a conversation between Michael Monti, owner of Monti’s restaurant, and Kimber Lanning, owner of Stinkweed, an alternative music store. At first, they simply wanted to get about ten local businesses together to buy advertising as a group.

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Article filed under Independent Business | Written by Stacy Mitchell | No Comments | Updated on Jun 27, 2003

Saving Banff

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

Banff, like many communities in western Canada, is facing a growing influx of multinational chains. Determined to save their community from becoming"Anyplace, North America," Banff officials are investigating ways to buck the chain store trend. Luckily, they are not in uncharted territory. Communities across the continent have devised effective strategies for limiting chains and nurturing locally owned businesses. Continue reading

Article filed under Independent Business | Written by Stacy Mitchell | No Comments | Updated on Jun 27, 2003

Saving Banff

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/saving-banff-2/

Saving Banff by Stacy Mitchell originally published in Calgary Herald, June 27, 2003 Banff, like many communities in western Canada, is facing a growing influx of multinational chains ["Banff fears 'corporate branding' of resort"]. Stores like The Gap and Starbucks are multiplying rapidly, undermining the unique character of this lovely mountain town and displacing locally… Continue reading

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

Independent Business Alliances Forms in Santa Fe

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/independent-business-alliances-forms-santa-fe/

Local businesses, nonprofit organization, and residents are uniting in Santa Fe, New Mexico, to bolster the local economy and build a more self-reliant community.

The Santa Fe Independent Business Community Alliance (SFIBCA) formed in December and has already attracted more than 370 members. About 60 percent of the members are independent businesses supplying a broad range of goods and services: bookstores, pharmacies, banks, radio stations, auto repair shops, accountants, printers, builders, beauty salons, and physicians.

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

Coalitions Key to Survival of Independent Music Stores

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/coalitions-key-survival-independent-music-stores/

Album sales dropped more than 11 percent last year. Forecasts predict they will dive another 6 percent this year. The internet is partly to blame; the record industry says 2.6 billion music files are downloaded from the internet each month, many of which are burned to CDs. Music is also facing competition from other forms of entertainment, especially among teenagers, who are spending more money on DVDs and electronic games.

Radio consolidation hasn’t helped either.

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

Thailand Adopts Local Planning to Control Superstores

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/thailand-adopts-local-planning-control-superstores/

The Thai government has issued a new directive designed to control the expansion of superstores. The measure requires provinces to establish committees to draft new planning rules that stipulate where large-scale stores may locate.

The directive covers all of Thailand’s 76 provinces, except Bangkok and three other major cities, which already have zoning in place. The government estimates it will take three years to implement land use planning nationwide.

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

Bozeman Caps Size of Retail Stores

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/bozeman-caps-size-retail-stores/

In February, the city of Bozeman, Montana, enacted an ordinance limiting retail stores to no more than 75,000 square feet. The measure makes permanent a temporary moratorium on construction of large retail stores in place for the past year.

The ordinance was approved by a 3-2 vote of the City Commission and took effect on March 21.

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

Britain to Review Supermarket Merger

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/britain-review-supermarket-merger/

In March, British officials launched an inquiry to examine the competitive impacts of a merger between two of the country’s top supermarket chains. The findings could derail attempts by Britain’s top three and number five chains—Tesco, Sainsbury, Wal-Mart-owned Asda, and Morrison—to purchase the fourth largest grocery chain, Safeway. Continue reading

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

Taos, New Mexico, Votes to Keep Store Size Limit

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/taos-new-mexico-votes-keep-store-size-limit/

Cheers greeted the Taos, New Mexico, Town Council last month when members voted 3-2 to reject a proposal to allow construction of retail stores as large as 200,000 square feet. The vote reaffirms an ordinance adopted in 1999 that prohibits stores over 80,000 square feet.

The issue has been hotly debated in this community of 7,000 for more than three months. It began when a handful of residents organized under the banner La Gente ("the people") and petitioned the Town Council to lift the store size limit.

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

Mexico Imposes Code of Conduct on Wal-Mart

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/mexico-impose-code-conduct-walmart/

After a ten-month investigation of Wal-Mart, Mexican antitrust officials have imposed a code of conduct on the company and other large supermarket chains.

The Mexican Federal Competition Commission (CFC) launched the investigation last May to determine whether Wal-Mart was using its market power to pressure suppliers into providing prices substantially lower than those available to other retailers (after accounting for reasonable volume discounts).

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