1 Sep 2003

Wal-Mart Distribution Centers Capture $150 Million in Subsidies

by | Date: 1 Sep 2003 | posted in: Retail | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

Since the 1980s, Wal-Mart has received at least $150 million in local, state, and federal subsidies to build 47 distribution centers in 32 states, according to a study by The Palm Beach Post.

Onlythose subsidies that have been quantified in published reports were counted. "That number likely grows by tens of millions when unquantified breaks, such as government bond financing for construction, and ongoing breaks, such as those given to businesses in enterprise zones, are included," the newspaper notes.

… Read More
1 Feb 2003

Local Stores Create Triple the Economic Activity of Chains

by | Date: 1 Feb 2003 | posted in: Retail | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

When you spend $100 at the chain Borders Books & Music, your purchase creates only $13 worth of local economic activity. That same $100 spent at locally owned book or record store generates $45, or more than three times as much local economic activity. That’s the conclusion of a new study conducted by Civic Economics and published by Livable City in Austin, Texas. … Read More
1 Feb 2003

Big Box Stores Drain City Revenue, Study Finds

by | Date: 1 Feb 2003 | posted in: Retail | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

Big box retail, shopping centers, and fast-food restaurants cost taxpayers more than they produce in revenue, according to a fiscal impact analysis in Barnstable, Massachusetts. The study, conducted by Tischler & Associates, compares the tax revenue generated by different kinds of residential and commercial development with the actual cost of providing public services for each land use. Barnstable is a community of 48,000 people on Cape Cod.… Read More
1 Feb 2003

Small Businesses Pay Their Employees. Wal-Mart Doesn’t.

by | Date: 1 Feb 2003 | posted in: Retail | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

In December, an Oregon jury found Wal-Mart guilty of forcing employees in eighteen stores to work extra hours without pay. A separate jury will determine damages in the class-action lawsuit. Employees testified that store managers used a variety of tactics to extract unpaid labor, including requiring employees to work after they had punched out for lunch, locking the doors at night to prevent off-the-clock employees from leaving until certain tasks were complete, and manipulating employee timecards. … Read More
1 Nov 2002

Surveys Find Local Pharmacies Cheaper than Chains

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

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 Aug 2002

Newspapers Suffer When Local Stores Close

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

Local newspapers suffer a double blow when giant chains like Home Depot or Wal-Mart come to town. Not only do these companies rarely advertise in local newspapers, but they usually force dozens of independent retailers to close, eliminating significant sources of newspaper ad revenue. In a recent article in Editor & Publisher, Mark Fitzgerald describes the deadly impact that the rise of corporate chains and decline of locally owned businesses has had on local newspapers.… Read More
1 Aug 2002

Big Box Sprawl Causes Sharp Rise in Police Costs

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

Many city officials welcome large chain retailers for the tax revenue that create. Rarely do they consider the other side of the balance sheet: the tax losses that occur when chains displace local stores and the added costs of providing roads, sewers, police, fire, and other public services to the sprawling new development.

Added police costs are proving especially difficult for many communities that once welcomed big box stores. Take Port Richey, Florida, for example. … Read More
1 May 2002

Independent Funeral Homes Rebound

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

Just a few years ago, industry observers were predicting the demise of independent funeral homes. Four giant companies were buying up thousands of independent mortuaries and rapidly consolidating the industry. By processing bodies at large regional embalming plants, buying in bulk, and sharing employees across multiple homes, the chains were expected to gain a significant financial edge over their independent competitors. … Read More
1 Dec 2001

Consumer Reports Ranks Independent Bookstores #1

by | Date: 1 Dec 2001 | posted in: Retail | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

In an extensive survey conducted by Consumer Reports, 88 percent of respondents said they were either completely satisfied or very satisfied with their experience at independent bookstores. Independents not only out-ranked internet and chain bookstores, but their exceptionally high rating put them "on a par with the highest-rated stores from any Consumer Reports survey in recent years." … Read More

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