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Buoyed by Public Support, Independent Businesses Report Strong Sales Growth, National Survey Finds
Independent businesses saw strong sales growth in 2014 as more consumers embraced the “buy local” movement and ditched big companies in favor of supporting local retailers and small-scale producers, according to a large national survey released today.… Read More
New Report: Walmart’s Dirty Energy Secret
Walmart talks a lot of talk about its renewable energy initiatives, but a new ILSR report finds that all that hype is just slick greenwashing hiding the company’s massive coal consumption. In this first-of-its-kind analysis, ILSR calculated that Walmart is one of the nation’s largest users of coal-fired electricity. Despite pledging nearly a decade ago to shift to 100 percent renewable energy, Walmart today derives only 3 percent of its U.S. electricity from its renewable energy projects — far less than many small businesses and competing chains. Several national environmental leaders — including Michael Brune of Sierra Club, Bill McKibben of 350.org, and Jeremy Hays of Green For All — joined ILSR in releasing the study and calling for change.… Read More
Report: North Dakota’s Pharmacy Ownership Law Leads to Better Pharmacy Care
What a difference local ownership makes. Under a forward-thinking 1963 law, North Dakota does not allow chains to operate pharmacies. Instead, virtually all of the state’s 171 pharmacies are locally owned and independent. In this data-driven study, ILSR finds that North Dakotans receive significantly better pharmacy care by every measure, from some of the lowest drug prices in the nation to unparalleled access, particularly in rural areas. … Read More
Report: Walton Family Undermining Rooftop Solar, ILSR Finds
The Walton family — majority owners of Walmart — are impeding America’s transition to a clean energy future, a new study by ILSR finds. At a time when more than 500,000 households and businesses are generating their own solar electricity, and the U.S. solar industry is employing 143,000 people, the Waltons are funding nearly two dozen organizations working to roll back renewable energy policies, while a Walton-owned company is pushing for regulations aimed at hindering the growth of rooftop solar power.… Read More
Understanding the Small Business Credit Crunch
Even as their big competitors are awash in capital, many locally owned businesses are struggling to secure the financing they need to grow. This analysis finds that, since 2000, bank lending to large businesses is up 36 percent, while small business loan volume has fallen 14 percent and “micro” business loans — those under $100,000 — have plummeted 33 percent.… Read More
Independent Business Owners Report Growing Public Support, Call for Policies to Level the Playing Field
A survey of 2,602 independent business owners across the U.S. has found that the Buy Local message is boosting customer traffic and improving the outlook on Main Street. But entrepreneurs also say policymakers need to do more to create a level playing field and ensure that small local businesses have an equal opportunity to compete.… Read More
New Report Reveals Walmart’s Climate Impact
Today, ILSR issued a report on Walmart’s rapidly expanding climate pollution and joined with leading environmental organizations in calling for change. The new report, Walmart’s Assault on the Climate: The Truth Behind One of the Biggest Climate Polluters and Slickest Greenwashers in America, finds: Nearly a decade after launching its sustainability campaign, Walmart’s greenhouse gas emissions … Read More
Survey Finds Independent Businesses Benefit from “Buy Local First” Campaigns, But Challenges Loom
ILSR’s annual survey has found that independent businesses experienced solid revenue growth in 2012, buoyed in part by “buy local first” initiatives. But the survey also documented challenges facing independent businesses, most notably an increase in “showrooming” and competition from online retailers, tax and subsidy policies that favor their big competitors, difficulty obtaining loans, and a customer base still reeling from the recession.… Read More
New Report: Walmart’s Greenwash
In this new report, the Institute for Local Self-Reliance documents how Walmart’s heavily promoted sustainability initiatives are falling short. “Walmart’s sustainability campaign has done more to improve the company’s image than to help the environment,” said Stacy Mitchell, the report’s author and a senior researcher at ILSR. … Read More
The Growth of Internet Retailing: Implications and Strategies for the 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. … Read More
Big-Box Swindle: The True Cost of Mega-Retailers and the Fight for America’s Independent Businesses
Big-Box Swindle was named one of the top ten business books of the year by Booklist and described by Bill McKibben as “the ultimate account of the single most important economic trend in our country.”… Read More
The Benefits of North Dakota’s Pharmacy Ownership Law
A unique law in North Dakota requires that pharmacies be owned by pharmacists, which means that almost all pharmacies in the state are independently owned. This report finds that, thanks to the law, North Dakota outperforms other states on key measures of pharmacy service, including the number of pharmacies serving rural areas and average prescription prices.… Read More
Major Flaws Uncovered in Study Claiming Wal-Mart Has Not Harmed Small Business
A widely publicized study claims that there is no evidence that Wal-Mart has had a negative impact on the small business sector. In reviewing the study, ILSR found fatal flaws. For example, the study relies on the wrong US Census dataset. Using the correct data, our analysis shows that the number of independent retailers fell as Walmart grew between 1982 and 2002.… Read More
Legislative Platform to Strengthen America’s Independent Businesses
Contrary to conventional wisdom, the demise of independent businesses is not the inevitable result of market forces and consumer choices. Public policy at all levels of government has played a major role in fueling the growth of large corporations at the expense of America’s independent small businesses. To level the playing field and allow small businesses to originate and flourish, we advocate the following policies.… Read More
10 Reasons Why Maine’s Homegrown Economy Matters: And 50 Proven Ways to Revive It
This report opens with an overview of research on the impacts of large chain stores and the benefits of locally owned businesses. It then outlines dozens of concrete strategies to rebuild the homegrown economy. Although this report was written for Maine, the strategies are applicable in other states. … Read More