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

British Government Rejects Big Box Sprawl

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/british-government-rejects-big-box-sprawl/

In a move that could derail big box development projects throughout England, Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott has rejected a bid by the furniture chain Ikea to build a 300,000-square-foot store (seven times the size of a football field) outside the city of Stockport.

In a letter explaining his decision, Deputy Prime Minister Prescott said the proposed store violated several provisions of both national and local planning policy.

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

Small Businesses Pay Their Employees. Wal-Mart Doesn’t.

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/small-businesses-pay-their-employees-walmart-doesnt/

In December, an Oregon jury found Wal-Mart guilty of forcing employees in eighteen stores to work extra hours without pay. A separate jury will determine damages in the class-action lawsuit.

Employees testified that store managers used a variety of tactics to extract unpaid labor, including requiring employees to work after they had punched out for lunch, locking the doors at night to prevent off-the-clock employees from leaving until certain tasks were complete, and manipulating employee timecards.

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

Wyoming Town Latest to Open a Community-Owned Store

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/wyoming-town-latest-to-open-community-stor/

The town of Powell, Wyoming, is one of a growing number of places where residents are opening community-owned department stores. More than 800 shares of stock in the Powell Mercantile, priced at $500 each, were purchased by approximately 500 local investors. The 10,000-square-foot store, which sells mostly mid-range clothing and shoes, opened in July and has turned a profit ever since. Continue reading

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

Charleston Merchants Join Forces to Promote Local Stores

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/charleston-merchants-join-forces-promote-local-stores/

A dozen independent businesses in Charleston, West Virginia, have banded together to promote one another and the idea of supporting locally owned businesses.

In November, the group began running print, television, and radio advertisements. The print ads read, "Supporting your locally owned stores keeps your dollars in our community.

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

Cape Cod Coalition Promotes Local Ownership

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/cape-cod-coalition-promotes-local-ownership/

"Now you know who really has your interests at heart," reads a recent advertisement in the Cape Cod Times that explains that a locally owned business returns a much larger share of its revenue to the local economy compared to an absentee-owned chain.

The ad is part of a series of ads published in Cape Cod newspapers last fall by a new grassroots organization called the Smart Planning and Growth Coalition (SPGC).

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

Supermarket Concentration Harms Farmers and Consumers

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/supermarket-concentration-harms-farmers-and-consumers/

Supermarket chains in the northeast are using their market power to reap record profits on milk at the expense of both dairy farmers and consumers, according to a new report.

The findings are fueling legislative efforts in several New England states to rein in the power of grocery chains. One proposal in Maine would tax big box retailers to support dairy farms.

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

Taos, New Mexico, Battles Big Boxes… Again

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/taos-new-mexico-battles-big-boxes-again/

Hundreds of citizens packed a Town Council meeting in Taos, New Mexico, in late January to voice their opposition to a proposed Wal-Mart supercenter.

With the meeting room filled to capacity, many were forced to sit out the proceedings in other rooms, hallways, and even outside the building. More than 70 people testified against the development over a three-and-a-half hour period. Opponents wore green ribbons to identify themselves and presented a petition with 6,800 signatures.

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

German High Court Convicts Wal-Mart of Predatory Pricing

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/german-high-court-convicts-walmart-predatory-pricing/

Germany’s highest court has ruled that Wal-Mart’s below-cost pricing strategy undermines competition and violates the country’s antitrust laws.

Two years ago, the federal Cartel Office accused Wal-Mart and two other large supermarket chains of selling goods below cost and ordered the companies to raise their prices. The items in question included about a dozen staple products like milk, butter, and vegetable oil.

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

Wal-Mart’s Purchase of Puerto Rico Chain Challenged

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/walmarts-purchase-puerto-rico-chain-challenged/

Puerto Rico’s Department of Justice has asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit to block Wal-Mart’s acquisition of the island’s largest grocery store chain, Supermercados Amigo Inc. The outcome of the case could affect the ability of states to review and challenge mergers.

Wal-Mart already operates 19 outlets in Puerto Rico, including eight Sam’s Club stores and one supercenter.

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