1 Nov 2002

YAYA! Bike Co-op Charts Rapid Growth

by | Date: 1 Nov 2002 | posted in: Retail | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

The number of businesses belonging to purchasing cooperatives has doubled in the last ten years, to about 50,000, according to Paul Hazen of the National Cooperative Business Association. In the hardware and grocery sectors, long-established co-ops like Ace Hardware, have provided an essential line of defense against large chains and made the difference between survival and failure for countless independent merchants. The co-op model is now spreading to other retail sectors. … Read More
1 Nov 2002

Tackling the Problem of Commercial Gentrification

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Rising commercial rents are generally a good thing; they are an indication of the health of a business district and encourage landlords and banks to invest in building improvements. But in some communities, commercial rents are rising too far too fast. Often this sudden run-up is driven by chain retailers, which discover the appeal of an area and sweep in by the dozens, offering above-market rents for choice spots and sparking a frenzy of speculation.… Read More
1 Nov 2002

Surveys Find Local Pharmacies Cheaper than Chains

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In October, the Maine Department of Human Services released its third annual survey of prescription prices for fifteen common drugs at 106 independent and chain pharmacies statewide. The ten lowest priced pharmacies (based on the cost of all fifteen drugs combined) were all locally owned drugstores. National chains, including Rite Aid, CVS, and Brooks, had among the highest overall costs.… Read More
1 Nov 2002

Big Box Opponents Win Two, Lose One on Election Day

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Home Depot suffered a resounding defeat at the ballot box in Talbot County, Maryland, on Tuesday in what residents hope will be the company’s final attempt to build one of its giant stores in this rural Eastern Shore community. In 1999, after Home Depot and other big box retailers proposed stores in the town of Easton, the City Council enacted a big box moratorium and subsequently adopted an ordinance barring stores over 65,000 square feet. … Read More
1 Nov 2002

Norfolk Neighbors Organize to Stop Walgreens

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In less than a week, residents of Norfolk, Virginia, have gathered nearly 400 petition signatures against a proposed Walgreen’s store. The chain plans to bulldoze a marble and tile building in the historic Ghent neighborhood and build a 14,500-square-foot store with a double drive-through and large parking lot.… Read More
1 Nov 2002

Critical Small Business Loan Program Cut

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The Bush Administration has cut the federal government’s largest and most important small business loan program by more than 60 percent. This year, the program will back only $4.4 billion in loans, compared to nearly $12 billion last year. The program, known as 7(a), is run by the Small Business Administration and guarantees loans of up to $2 million made to small businesses. It is the largest source of long-term working capital for small businesses in the nation, accounting for some 40 percent of available financing. … Read More
1 Nov 2002

Wal-Mart’s Bid to Buy Bank Blocked

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A coalition of consumer groups, unions, independent banks, credit unions, and realtors managed a legislative feat in California last month when they pushed through an 11th hour bill to block Wal-Mart’s attempt to acquire a small bank. Wal-Mart filed an application with state regulators in April to buy Franklin Bank of California, an industrial bank with $2.5 million in assets and three employees in Orange County. The new law prohibits non-financial firms from buying state-chartered banks. … Read More
1 Nov 2002

Mexican Communities Fight Costco and McDonald’s

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Residents of Oaxaca, a city in southern Mexico, are handing out free tamales by the thousands in an effort to stop a McDonald’s from opening in a 500-year-old plaza at the center of town. News of the company’s plans surfaced in May. Since then, opponents have been holding rallies with free food to highlight the importance of local cuisine and build opposition to the McDonald’s. … Read More
13 Oct 2002

Business Forum: When it comes to good energy planning, Xcel is in the way

by | Date: 13 Oct 2002 | posted in: From the Desk of David Morris, The Public Good | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

Business Forum: When it comes to good energy planning, Xcel is in the way By David Morris Originally Published in the Minneapolis Star Tribune, October 13, 2002 Recent revelations about Xcel’s corporate conduct have galvanized a flurry of activism by state agencies. The Attorney General’s office, the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) and the Department of Commerce … Read More

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