Stacy Mitchell (1)

It can be hard to say one enjoys a book as disturbing as this one. But ultimately, it is filled with valuable information that can arm you for any friend of yours who attacks you with the constant refrain of "You have to shop at Wal-Mart because [fill in favorite argument of your friends here]". The tactics of the big-box stores are well researched and the impact of the new form of marketing on the life of a community is explored. Although I am not a big fan of the argument that you can't show more present a problem without also presenting the solution, I will say that the author does do that here. She discusses various things communities can do to fight back, and gives examples from a number of communities that have successfully restored the vibrancy of their downtown (or protected an already vibrant downtown) and staved of the invasion of the big boxes. For this most part, this is not a cheery story, but the author writes in such an easy to read style, you almost don't notice all the statistics she includes; however, those statistics are a valuable part of the story. This should be read by every city councilman in every city, town, or village large enough to be attractive to big-box stores. show less

A big-box retailer is interested in building a gazillion square foot MegaCenter on the outskirts of your small town. This book has a number of options to encourage that retailer to look elsewhere.

Big-box proponents like to talk about the jobs and tax revenue that the retailer will bring to town. This assumes, of course, that the town has not already approved a huge, multi-year tax break to encourage the retailer to build. Studies have shown that the rise in jobs and tax revenue that come show more from a big-box retailer are almost exactly offset by the lost jobs and tax revenue that will come from the Main Street businesses forced to close. Other studies have compared a dollar spent at a local business to a dollar spent at a big-box retailer. A much greater percentage of the locally spent dollar will stay in town than the big-box dollar, which will be wired to corporate HQ at the end of the day.

What can the average town do about it? Consider passing a town ordinance restricting all retail activity to downtown; big-box retailers like to build on the edge of town. Another possible ordinance will restrict retail stores to no more than a certain size, like 50,000 square feet. On a related subject, another possible ordinance can restrict, or ban, formula restaurants. These are businesses where, from one restaurant to another, the decor is the same, along with the food and the method of its preparation (like a fast food restaurant).

This is a short book, barely 100 pages, but it is full of information for any town who has been approached by a big-box retailer. It is a gem of a book. show less

A great expose! Too bad you won't get it at most book stores; not all libraries have it either.

It describes how big-box stores destroy local businesses and probes areas where they behave like corporate spoiled brats.

It's a shame that the people who need to read this book will not.