In the next few weeks this country will make two decisions of great consequence: Will we send additional troops to Afghanistan? Will we reform our health care system? It is both instructive and disheartening to see the different ways our policymakers approach these issues.… Read More
In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, many of New Orleans’ locally owned businesses reopened within days of the floodwaters subsiding, while national chains kept their distance for months, even years. Now a new study finds that the city’s independent businesses are not only more resilient, but generate twice the economic impact of big-box retailers like Target, while consuming a fraction of the land. … Read More
Today, in the New York Times small business blog, Robb Mandelbaum examines the membership of the National Federation of Independent Businesses has plummeted and takes a look at how the group has lobbied for tax loopholes that boost the profits of big chains, while forcing independent businesses to pay more.
So far, the public debate about cars and climate change has been dominated by fuel economy. But driving has been growing at such a rapid pace that even a big advance in fuel economy is likely to be wiped out by ever more miles on the road. This is where local stores come in. Dozens of studies have found that people who live near small stores walk more for errands and, when they do drive, their trips are shorter. … Read More
A growing body of evidence suggests that public enthusiasm for all things local and independent is on the rise, providing locally owned businesses with a measure of insulation from the worst effects of the recession, even as some of their biggest competitors teeter and collapse.… Read More
Michael Krasny’s Forum program on KQED, the NPR affiliate in Northern California, featured ILSR’s Stacy Mitchell as part of a panel discussion on the decline of shopping malls. … Read More
In one of the more brazen attempts by a corporation to disguise itself as a locally owned business, Starbucks is un-branding at least three of it Seattle outlets. … Read More
By keeping the focus of its sustainability efforts on suppliers, Wal-Mart continues to distract attention from the enormous — and growing — environmental impact of its own business model and operations. … Read More
HSBC, one of the biggest banks on the planet, has taken to calling itself "the world’s local bank." Starbucks is un-branding at least three of its Seattle outlets, the first of which just reopened as "15th Avenue Coffee and Tea." The International Council of Shopping Centers is pouring millions of dollars into television ads urging people to "Shop Local" — at their nearest mall.
Hoping to capitalize on growing public enthusiasm for all things local, some of the world’s biggest corporations are brashly laying claim to the word “local.”… Read More
