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Dec. 1, 2008 Major Flaws Uncovered in Study Claiming Wal-Mart Has Not Harmed Small Business
 A new and widely publicized study claims that there is no evidence that Wal-Mart has had a negative impact on the small business sector. A close inspection of the study by the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, however, found fatal flaws.
Nov. 25, 2008 Retailers (Legally) Skimming Sales Taxes Paid by Customers
Little-noticed laws in more than half the states allow retailers to keep a portion of the sales taxes they collect from shoppers. The practice is costing states over $1 billion a year and lining the pockets of large chains, notably Wal-Mart, according to an eye-opening report from Good Jobs First.
Oct. 15, 2008 Modest Changes in Shopping Habits would Produce Big Economic Benefits, Study Finds
Shifting just 10% of consumer spending from chains to locally owned businesses would have a major impact on the West Michigan economy, according to a new study.
Oct. 8, 2008 Big Retailers Seek Exclusive Deals on Books and Albums
Looking for that new book that everyone's talking about or the latest CD from a popular band? You may have no choice but to buy it at Amazon or Wal-Mart. Big retailers are leveraging their market power to gain exclusive access to more products, squeezing out independents and undermining the open market.
Sep. 12, 2008 Pennsylvania Seeds a New Crop of Local Grocery Stores
 A four-year-old program in Pennsylvania has helped dozens of independent grocery stores open or expand in low-income urban neighborhoods and small towns.
Sep. 29, 2008 Press Release: Shuttered Stores Increasingly Litter U.S. Landscape
As shopping centers go dark, cities reconsider the merits of uncontrolled retail development. Includes a list of the more than 7,000 chain store closures announced this year.
Aug. 1, 2008 Sharp Rise in Shopping Center Vacancies
 by Stacy Mitchell, Main Street News
Shopping center construction continues at a furious pace, even as chain retailers announce plans to close more than 6,500 outlets and vacancy rates soar.
Jul. 19, 2008 Low prices, but at what cost?
by Stacy Mitchell, Minneapolis Star Tribune
Starting a small business or getting a union production job provided a living for generations of Americans. No other company has done more to erode this path to a middle-class life than Wal-Mart.
Jun. 20, 2008 Bigger bang from independents' bucks
by Stacy Mitchell and Jim Gile, Albany Times-Union
The Capital Region's future would be much better served by fostering the growth of locally owned businesses, rather than chasing after big-name national retailers.
Jun. 12, 2008 CD: Catalyzing Your Own "Buy Local" Movement
This CD contains 130 slides synched with audio from a presentation given at the National Main Streets Conference in Philadelphia on April 1, 2008.
May. 9, 2008 Community-Owned Stores
by Stacy Mitchell, Forum News, May-June 2008
This article is reproduced with permission from the National Trust's Forum.
Apr. 25, 2008 Wal-Mart Takes Greenwashing to a New Level
 by Stacy Mitchell, Beacon Broadside
One company has developed a far more sophisticated and dangerous approach to manipulating environmental sentiment.
Mar. 18, 2008 Buy Local Slide Show
 Watch our online slide show of examples of how of how communities nationwide are promoting the importance of supporting locally owned businesses.
Mar. 11, 2008 Radio Podcast: The Big-Box Swindle
A one-hour podcast from the Mark Johnson Show on WDEV (in three parts).
Mar. 1, 2008 Resources from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance
This flyer provides an overview of the web sites and other resources on local business and big-box retail offered by ILSR. Please feel free to copy and distribute.
Mar. 1, 2008 Visit Big Box Tool Kit!
 ILSR's online resource center to help citizens beat the big boxes and chart a new course for economic development in their communities.
Feb. 1, 2008 Whole Foods: The Local Face of a Mega-Retailer
 by Stacy Mitchell, The Bollard
Interviews with 18 local suppliers raise serious questions about the company's commitment to local food.
Dec. 1, 2007 CD-ROM: Regulating Big Box Retail
A session from the American Planning Association's 2007 conference. Presenters were Thomas Jacobson, Stacy Mitchell, and Julie Tappendorf. CD-ROM includes audio synchronized with PowerPoint, transcripts and slides, note sheets, and reading materials.
Aug. 24, 2007 Declaration of Independents
Lecture delivered by Stacy Mitchell at the 26th Annual E.F. Schumacher Lectures in Stockbridge, Massachusetts.
Jun. 18, 2007 DVD: Stacy Mitchell Talks about the Big-Box Swindle
DVD of ILSR's Stacy Mitchell giving a talk in Nov. 2006 about the hidden costs of big-box retail and what communities can do to rebuild local businesses. The event was sponsored by Local First Utah and filmed by Salt Lake City Television. (1 hr, 4 min)
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