Home Depot Withdrawal Called Blessing In Disguise
December 31, 2005
When Home Depot announced last week that it was pulling out of plans to build another giant store in Columbus, Ohio, some people were more
December 2005
Home Depot Plans Get Nailed.
December 31, 2005
Home Depot’s plans to build a “small” 100,000 s.f. store on 64th street in Dyker Heights, Brooklyn, got nailed by area residents this week, who
Haitian Business Destroyed’Not By Earthquake, But By Home Depot
December 31, 2005
A Haitian immigrant who built a multi-million business in New Jersey is now fighting to survive financially — a victim not of the recent earthquake
City Appeals Home Depot Approval On Traffic Concerns
December 31, 2005
City officials in Capitola, California say they are not trying to kill the Home Depot project, but that it’s traffic impact is just not workable
Grocer Warns Residents Of Wal-Mart’s Impact
December 30, 2005
A proposed Wal-Mart store in Hartford, Wisconsin has generated significant opposition in that community. On September 17, 2006, Sprawl-Busters reported that residents in Hartford had
Home Depot Employee Drives Car Through Store Entrance
December 27, 2005
Ali Warrayat, 24, of Gilbert, Arizona went out for a drive on December 18th that ended up in the paint department of the Chandler Home
Wal-Mart Begins New Year By Shutting Down Store
December 27, 2005
Wal-Mart is celebrating the New Year in Dumas, Arkansas by shutting down its discount store. Wal-Mart doesn’t like to talk about underperforming stores, but in
Where Home Depot Goes, Lowe’s Is Sure To Follow.
December 26, 2005
Everywhere that Mary went, her lamb was sure to go. A story from Knight Ridder News today explains why every time you see a Home
The Twelve Days of Wal-Mart
December 24, 2005
For the past several years, Sprawl-Busters has featured a Christmas wish to Wal-Mart from Dee Brantley, of Lake Charles, Louisiana, who has a Wal-Mart supercenter
Santa Gives Home Depot The Gift of Public Welfare
December 24, 2005
Christmas is the season of giving, and even big corporations need “gifts” to stay in business. Home Depot is the 3rd largest retailer in the
Home Depot Developer Breaks Ground, But Breaks Law
December 23, 2005
What was supposed to be a festive ground-breaking, complete with shovels and earth being turned, instead turned into a major embarrassment for a Home Depot
The Tortoise Loses Race With Wal-Mart.
December 23, 2005
Gopher tortoises have been around for at least 60 million years, but it looks like they are losing the race to survive to a faster
Wal-Mart Dropped From Deal
December 23, 2005
Christmas came a few days early in Elk Grove, California, when a Wal-Mart supercenter fell off Santa’s sleigh and broke into tiny pieces. According to
Jury Slams Wal-Mart with $172 Million ‘Work Break’ Fine
December 23, 2005
Wal-Mart has learned the hard way this week that there’s literally no free lunch. In its 2005 Annual Report to stockholders, Wal-Mart warned investors that
Grocer’s Association Campaigns Against Wal-Mart Saturation.
December 22, 2005
The National Grocer’s Association (N.G.A.), whose members have largely taken the brunt of Wal-Mart’s movement into the superstore/grocery business, has written to its members this
Citizens Take Wal-Mart To Court
December 22, 2005
A citizen’s group called the Informed Citizens Alliance (ICA) has filed a lawsuit seeking a preliminary injunction to stop work on a 104,000 s.f. Wal-Mart
Lawsuits Say Wal-Mart Secretly Manipulated Time Sheets
December 20, 2005
An update sent to Sprawl-Busters from a Massachusetts Attorney Robert Bonsignore, suggests that Wal-Mart is facing a serious class action lawsuit because of its prevalent
Planning Committee Denies Wal-Mart, Lowe’s Rezoning
December 20, 2005
Although the final decision will rest with the Town Council, anti-Wal-Mart activists in Harrisburg, North Carolina won a victory this week when the Planning and
Developer Pulls Wal-Mart Out of Project
December 20, 2005
What sound does Wal-Mart make when it gets dropped on its head? That’s the sound you’ll hear today in Porterville, California, where a developer has
Will Global Trade Agreements Trump Local Zoning?
December 17, 2005
According to a recent article in The NewStandard, international negotiators at the World Trade Organization (WTO) meeting in Hong Kong are considering trade rules that
Jesus Saves–By Shopping At Wal-Mart?
December 17, 2005
As we head into the season that celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ, here is a letter that was sent to Wal-Mart CEO Lee Scott
City Gives Wal-Mart $2.5 Million In Welfare
December 17, 2005
Wal-Mart dislikes being portrayed as a welfare queen, yet the company continues to take welfare from local cities and towns, while running up enormous profits.
Thirteen years After Defeat, Wal-Mart Returns
December 17, 2005
A developer based in Fairfield, Connecticut has filed plans with the state of Massachusetts for a 160,000 square foot big box store in Greenfield, Massachusetts,
Wal-Mart Bristles At ‘Health Care For My Mommy’ Event
December 17, 2005
Wal-Mart called the cops on Santa this week in North Lauderdale, Florida. According to CNS news, two “protesters” were arrested at the Wal-Mart store in
Activists Protest At Wal-Mart Annual Meeting
December 17, 2005
A group called the “Against the Wal Coalition” will be in Fayetville, Arkansas to protest the Wal-Mart annual shareholders meeting, an event which will feature
The Age of Wal-Mart?
December 15, 2005
A consulting company called Retail Forward is selling a research study called “The Age of Wal-Mart”, which says that the world’s largest retailer could grow
Home Depot Gets Fried in Frisco
December 15, 2005
Mayor Bernie Zurbriggen of Frisco, Colorado found himself on the wrong side of the vote this week, when voters in his small town dumped plans
Town Wants Wal-Mart, Lowe’s To Help With Crime Costs
December 14, 2005
Big box stores come with a big public price tag. Many communities learn this the hard way. About a month ago, the Planning Board in
Wal-Mart Pays $50,000 Penalty To Settle Air Pollution Case
December 14, 2005
Wal-Mart likes to put out eco-friendly press releases, but here’s one you won’t find on their website. The federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has reached
Citizens Group Makes Wal-Mart Wait 15 Months
December 13, 2005
Wal-Mart may have thought that local officials in Batavia, New York were going to grease the skids to allow the retailer to build a superstore
City Willing to Force Land Annexation For Wal-Mart
December 11, 2005
Lelan Stallings owns 50 acres of land on the north side of Illinois 13. It happens to lie right in the middle of an annexation
With Wal-Mart Gone, New Urbanist Project Thrives
December 11, 2005
When Wal-Mart caved into local opposition, and abandoned its plans to build a “Neighborhood” Market in northwest Denver, Colorado, the real neighbors knew that something
City Reverses Itself To Allow Wal-Mart
December 11, 2005
Don’t say public officials in San Luis, Arizona don’t know what they are doing. Just because they banned a Wal-Mart two weeks ago, and this
Wal-Mart Wades Into Wetlands
December 10, 2005
A developer from Atlanta says that the 123,000 s.f. Wal-Mart has “insufficient room” to remain competitive in the Valdosta, Georgia trade area, so they want
Developer Funds Pro-Home Depot Vote
December 10, 2005
Is it possible for a corporation to buy an election? Of course it is, just ask companies like Home Depot and Wal-Mart, who rely on
Residents Out To Hammer Lowe’s
December 9, 2005
Lowe’s may think it has the small town of Geneseo, New York, nailed down, but according to the lastest report from the Geneseo Community Alert,
Residents Object to Wal-Mart Supercenter.
December 7, 2005
One Wal-Mart is one more than enough for Montevideo, Minnesota. One local merchant sent the following letter to the editor of his local newspaper, with
City Adopts 65,000 S.F. Size Cap
December 7, 2005
After months of discussion, the City Council in Frankenmuth, Michigan, a beautiful small community known as the “Little Bavaria” of Michigan, voted yesterday to cap
Wal-Mart Uses PR Firm to Write Citizens
December 6, 2005
Sprawl-Busters noted this week the abrupt withdrawal of Wal-Mart from the city of Helotes, Texas, which is now led by elected officials who ran last
Wal-Mart Returns 7 Years After Defeat?
December 6, 2005
Wal-Mart is so hungry for locations, it’s revisiting its old haunts where defeat met them the last time. Wal-Mart unsuccessfully tried to build a store
City Passes Cap On Size Of Retail Buildings
December 5, 2005
The Miami City Commissioners have voted unanimously this week to place a cap of 75,000 s.f. on big box stores in the Coconut Grove, one
Shoplifter Death At Wal-Mart Ruled Homicide
December 4, 2005
When alleged shop-lifter Stacy Driver, 30, died in a Wal-Mart parking lot in Atascocita, Texas, was the deadly force used to subdue him justifiable? A
Wal-Mart Denied 24 Hour Superstore Hours
December 4, 2005
Residents of Livonia, Michigan have been fighting a Wal-Mart superstore, and at the same time city officials who seem unwilling to do much to stop
Racial Incident Over Xmas Gifts Cards At Wal-Mart
December 3, 2005
Here’s a heart-warming tale of Christmas giving, and good will towards men, Wal-Mart style. Wal-Mart officials allegedly had a hard time imagining a black man
More Environmental Troubles For Wal-Mart
December 3, 2005
The environmental woes at Wal-Mart just keep spilling over. Federal Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) rules require corporations to disclose certain environmental matters, and Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart Drops Out’But May Return
December 2, 2005
To celebrate, or not to celebrate? That is the question in Helotes, Texas. Seven months after an anti-Wal-Mart slate of citizens swept into office in
Honey, I Shrunk The Store
December 2, 2005
Stopping Wal-Mart can sometimes seem like trying to bottle smoke. In the case of Gresham, Oregon, the citizens group Gresham First slam-dunked the retailer twice
Neighbors Turn Up Flame on Proposed Wendy’s
December 1, 2005
A citizen’s group in Columbus, Ohio is fighting off a Wendy’s store in the restaurant’s corporate home town. Here is their statement, as sent to
Same Sex Couple Files Discrimination Lawsuit Against Wal-Mart
December 1, 2005
A national class action lawsuit against Wal-Mart was filed by a same sex married couple from New Bedford, Massachusetts this week. The case, Cote V
Wal-Mart Boasts As Central America Joins ‘Global Family’
December 1, 2005
John Menzer, Wal-Mart’s Vice Chairman, did some global flag-waving in the December, 2005 issue of Wal-Mart World, the internal company newsletter that is read by