Old site category
The Beaufort Gazette, January 6, 2013 A coupon book offering discounts at Hilton Head Island restaurants and a website promoting businesses in downtown Beaufort and Port Royal represent the latest attempts to lure Lowcountry diners and shoppers away from big-box retailers and chain restaurants and into locally owned shops and eateries. …snip… Around the same time … Read More
Cleveland Plain Dealer, December 29, 2012 CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, Ohio — At Zagara’s Marketplace, shoppers who can’t find something they need can request it at the customer service desk. Store President John Zagara will hunt it down and special-order it — even if the person who asked for it ends up being the only customer who wants … Read More
Grist Magazine, December 20, 2012 Walmart has staked the lion’s share of its sustainability program on greening its supply chain. Instead of changing its own business practices — selling flimsy, landfill-bound products and building sprawling stores that can only be reached by car, for example — Walmart has said that it can make more headway on … 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 it declines even to come clean about where its goods are made – then how can we buy Walmart’s claim that it will transform factories across Asia into models of sustainability? … Read More
The Nation, December 17, 2012 Most progressives have long embraced a clear alternative to the conservative story that prosperity flows best from a “free market” unfettered by government regulation and taxes. The standard progressive response: government incentives and spending are essential to spur the creation of jobs, and unions and regulations can make them “good jobs.” … Read More
Our first podcast is with Stacy Mitchell, the heart and soul of our Independent Business and Banking Initiatives. Stacy talked with Lisa about the Initiative and the focus of her current projects. She also offered some strategies for supporting independent business and influencing policy that will strengthen our local economies. The podcast is just over 13 … Read More
Local farms, independent retailers, and community banks are all experiencing newfound public support. While these trends are encouraging, local businesses still account for only a small share of the economy. In this 15-minute talk, given in May 2012, ILSR’s Stacy Mitchell presents a compelling case for moving local enterprises from the economy’s margins to its mainstream.… Read More
Forbes, December 10, 2012 After posting articles about how consumer trends will change the way we eat and recommending seven great gift ideas for your sustainability obsessed foodie, I am now here to tell you that shopping will not change the world. Although buying from small farms, investing in community supported agriculture and shopping at the … Read More
Here are the ten short-and-sweet reasons why supporting independent businesses is critical to the well-being of our communities and our economy.… Read More
