Powerful retailers are dominating supply chains. Our report argues it’s time to revive the Robinson-Patman Act to restore antitrust enforcement against predatory buying.
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.… Read...
Chicago’s locally owned businesses generate 70 percent more local economic impact per square foot than chain stores, according to a new study. The study, conducted...
We assume that the chains represent economic progress, but in fact they take far more out of our economy than they contribute.… Read More
If Walmart will not pay 3 percent more for basic fire safety, if it readily abandons factories when cheaper production can be had elsewhere, if...
For years, chain retailers have exploited a loophole present in the tax laws of about half the states to escape paying billions of dollars in...
As dollar stores multiply rapidly across the U.S., cities are developing dollar store-specific policies to rein in their growth.
The added economic benefit of local stores has been dubbed the “local premium.” This one-page fact sheet explains it. … Read More
The good news is that overall sales at independent retailers grew by about 4 percent. The bad news is that chains grew faster and independents...
Locally owned businesses on the Hawaiian island of Maui are facing a invasion of national chains. It began with the arrival of Eagle Home &...
A groundbreaking new study, the Indie City Index, ranks all 363 metropolitan areas in the U. S. according to the vitality of their independent retail...
Two former television journalists are traveling cross country in search of Independent America and are making a documentary about what they find. … Read More
Interviews with 18 local suppliers—who produce everything from fresh vegetables, dairy products and meat, to prepared and processed foods—raise serious questions about Whole Foods’ commitment...
A grocery store owner transforms a food desert into a food oasis.
Big box retailers are rapidly rolling out stores throughout Minnesota. Wal-Mart and Target are leading the pack with plans to build hundreds of new "supercenters"...