1 Feb 2004

Santa Fe Alliance Releases Independent Business Study

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Chains are multiplying much faster than locally owned businesses in Santa Fe, New Mexico, according to a new study commissioned by the Santa Fe Independent Business & Community Alliance (SFIBCA). The study concludes that the decline of independent retailers is eroding Santa Fe’s distinctive character and undermining its economy. The study was conducted by Angelou Economics, a consulting firm based in Austin, Texas, that helps cities draft and implement economic development plans. … Read More
1 Feb 2004

Tuolumne County Caps the Size of Retail Stores

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Before a standing-room-only crowd, the Tuolumne County, California, Board of Supervisors voted unanimously in January to ban retail outlets over 60,000 square feet, about half the size of the average Home Depot store. The vote came after several months of review and more than two hours of public testimony in which residents overwhelmingly endorsed the measure. "Towns that have resisted the boxes have a vital diverse downtown business climate," one resident told the board. … Read More
1 Feb 2004

Stoughton, Wisconsin, Adopts Big Box Limits

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After months of pressure from a vocal citizens group, the City Council in Stoughton, Wisconsin, adopted an ordinance banning stores over 110,000 square feet. Stoughton is a community of 12,500 about 20 miles southeast of Madison. Last year, after Wal-Mart announced plans to close its 40,000-square-foot Stoughton outlet to build a 183,000-square-foot supercenter on undeveloped land, a citizens group called Uff-da Wal-Mart formed. Uff-da is a Norwegian expression of disdain. … Read More
1 Feb 2004

Vermont Governor Proposes Closing Tax Loophole that Favors Chains

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In his State of the State address, Vermont Governor James Douglas proposed closing a tax loophole that gives national chains an advantage over local businesses. The loophole allows multi-state corporations to shift income made in the state to subsidiaries in low- or no-tax states like Delaware and Nevada, thereby evading Vermont corporate income taxes.… Read More
1 Feb 2004

California Laws Targeting Supercenters Raise Concerns

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Rather than capping the size of all retail stores, a growing number of cities and counties in California are banning supercenters in particular. These are generally defined as stores over 90,000 or 100,000 square feet that devote more than 5 or 10 percent of their floor area to non-taxable grocery items.

Under these ordinances, developers can still build massive box stores, so long as they do not combine department store merchandise and a full supermarket under one roof.… Read More
1 Feb 2004

Brattleboro Group Urges Residents to Support Local Merchants

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Last year when Home Depot announced that it would open in a former Ames department store building in Brattleboro, Vermont, a group of residents organized a campaign urging people to avoid the store and continue supporting their hometown merchants. The group, BrattPower: Supporting Our Local Economy, gathered 3,200 petition signatures in this town of 12,000, organized a community forum, and began running radio and newspaper ads outlining the hidden costs of large chain stores and the benefits of locally owned businesses.… Read More
13 Jan 2004

Wal-Mart’s False Plays at Ignorance

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In the Wal-Mart economy, where an inexhaustible supply of cheap consumer goods has become more important than family wages for American workers, it should come as little surprise that a company which is known for its ability to track the sale of products down to the penny across a far-flung empire, would plead ignorance when accused of violating labor laws.

After courts in California and Minnesota granted class-action status to two separate lawsuits alleging that the company routinely forced its employees to work extra hours without pay, Wal-Mart spokesperson Sarah Clark said "We have no reason to believe that these isolated situations. . . represent a widespread problem with off-the-clock work." … Read More
11 Jan 2004

Massive Retail Expansion Could Harm Maine’s Economy

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Developers have announced plans to construct well over 2 million square feet of large retail stores in Maine over the coming months. Wal-Mart is planning a supercenter in Westbrook and perhaps another in Topsham. Lowe’s building supply is aiming at Brunswick. A 460,000-square-foot project, including Lowe’s and Target, is slated for Biddeford. HomeDepot has a site in Topsham. More than 900,000 square feet of retail is planned for Augusta, including a Lowe’s superstore and an expansion of The Marketplace that will house Best Buy, Kohl’s and others. And with the defeat of two zoning ordinance amendments in Kennebunk, that town may soon have a Stop & Shop supermarket. … Read More

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