Featured
Article
filed under
Independent Business
| Written by
Stacy Mitchell
|
| Updated on
Nov 11, 2011
The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/is-your-stuff-falling-apart-thank-walmart/
Chairs don’t hold together like they used to. Neither do toys, toasters, vacuum cleaners, or Levi’s. Walmart, with its relentless demands that manufacturers cut costs, has been a major force in making our products shoddier — and that has us heading back to the store more often to buy still more stuff. Continue reading
Featured
Article
filed under
Independent Business
| Written by
Stacy Mitchell
|
| Updated on
Nov 8, 2011
The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/crowdfunding-bill-would-allow-people-to-invest-in-local-businesses/
Under a measure that passed the House last Thursday, you may soon be able to invest in a portfolio of your favorite independent businesses. The bill, which won bipartisan support and cleared the House on a 407-17 vote, would overturn long-standing Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) rules that make it nearly impossible for small businesses to raise capital (or borrow money) from their customers and communities. Continue reading
Featured
Article
filed under
Independent Business
| Written by
Stacy Mitchell
|
| Updated on
Nov 8, 2011
The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/walmart-by-the-numbers/
Our Harper’s Index-style look at Walmart’s impact on the environment and local economies. Continue reading
Featured
Article
filed under
Independent Business
| Written by
Stacy Mitchell
|
| Updated on
Nov 7, 2011
The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/walmarts-greenwash-why-the-retail-giant-is-still-unsustainable/
The world’s biggest retailer has gotten lots of great press since it launched its sustainability campaign six years ago, but in many key areas it hasn’t actually gotten greener. It’s pumping out more CO2, paving over more land, and selling more flimsy products than ever before. In this Grist special series, ILSR’s Stacy Mitchell takes a hard look at Walmart’s real environmental impact. Continue reading
Article
filed under
Independent Business
| Written by
Stacy Mitchell
|
| Updated on
Sep 10, 2011
The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/dont-subsidize-big-boxes-local-shops-expense/
Handing out multimillion-dollar subsidies to large chains has become commonplace in much of the country. But when governments use public money to woo national chains, economic growth and job creation are negligible, and independent retailers suffer, Stacy Mitchell argues in this commentary for Business Week.
Continue reading
Rule
filed under
Independent Business
| Written by
admin
|
| Updated on
Sep 8, 2011
The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/rule/economic-impact-review/3177-2/
In September 2011, the California Legislature pased a bill requiring cities and counties to have an economic impact analysis prepared before deciding whether to approve an application to develop a large superstore. The legislation defines a superstore as a retail store of at least 90,000 square feet that devotes 10 percent or more of its space to groceries. The law lists a range of impacts that the study must assess and quantify. Continue reading
filed under
Independent Business
| Written by
Stacy Mitchell
|
| Updated on
Sep 1, 2011
The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/growth-internet-retailing-implications-strategies-specialty-toy-industry/
This white paper examines the growth of internet retailing, Amazon’s increasing share of this market, and the rise of free-riding as consumers browse and ask questions in brick-and-mortar stores and then buy online. The paper presents several recommendations for manufacturers, retailers, and policy-makers. Continue reading
Article
filed under
Independent Business
| Written by
Stacy Mitchell
|
| Updated on
Aug 17, 2011
The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/study-finds-local-businesses-key-income-growth/
The results of a new study suggest that the key to reversing the long-term trend of stagnating incomes in the U.S. lies in nurturing small, locally owned businesses and limiting further expansion and market consolidation by large corporations. Continue reading
Article
filed under
Independent Business
| Written by
Stacy Mitchell
|
| Updated on
Jul 22, 2011
The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/why-michelle-obama-s-food-initiative-promoting-walmart/
I winced yesterday when James Gavin, chair of the Partnership for a Healthier America, said he’d like to see Walmart double its U.S. store count. He was speaking at Michelle Obama’s event announcing that several retailers will open stores in “food deserts.” It was a sort of half-jokey remark, but, still, in a conversation about food in America, the suggestion that Walmart should have an even bigger role in our food system is pretty disturbing. This is a company that already captures 25 percent of grocery sales nationally and more than 50 percent in some metro areas. Continue reading
Article
filed under
Independent Business
| Written by
Stacy Mitchell
|
| Updated on
Jul 1, 2011
The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/california-requires-internet-retailers-collect-sales-tax/
In what may well be the tipping point in a decade-long fight to level the playing field for local brick-and-mortar businesses, California this week enacted a law requiring Amazon and other large online retailers to collect state sales tax. Continue reading
