Activists Explore “Ethics Test” For Big Box Retailers
March 13, 2005
Activists in Longmont, Colorado are researching a new way to put a crimp in development plans of big box retailers. Here’s their report: “Our thought
Al Norman
Residents In Coconut Grove Want Size Cap
March 13, 2005
Miami City Commissioner Johnny Winton, who represents the Coconut Grove area, has introduced a measure that would limit the size of retail stores to 70,000
Wal-Mart Drops Out of Running
March 13, 2005
Chalk up another victory for anti-Wal-Mart forces. In the village of Mokena, Illinois recently, Wal-Mart announced that it was ending its plans to build a
Wal-Mart Loses Rezoning Bid
March 13, 2005
Local officials in Ham Lake, Minnesota have no place to put a 203,000 s.f. Wal-Mart supercenter and gas station. The City Council this week unanimously
Auto Repair Workers At Wal-Mart Vote To Unionize
March 13, 2005
Add one more chapter to Wal-Mart’s union odyssey in Canada. This week, the Labor Relations Board in Quebec granted union certification to 10 auto repair
Residents Concerned By Wal-Mart Saturation.
March 13, 2005
Wal-Mart has been applying pressure throughout Utah to open up new stores in this state. Newsflash has written about clashes in towns like Centerville and
Residents Organize To Fight Wal-Mart Godzilla
March 13, 2005
Wal-Mart’s plans for a monstrous 223,000 s.f. supercenter in Pullman, Washington has brought out residents determined to fight it. According to the Lewiston Morning Tribune,
Two Wal-Mart Battles In One Town
March 6, 2005
Residents have back-to-back Wal-Mart proposals to fight in the city of Westminster, Colorado. The Denver Post reports that citizens in the community of Westminster are
Wal-Mart Tops List Of Workers On Public Health Plans
March 6, 2005
Once again, Wal-Mart has turned up at the top of a list they don’t want to be on. A study released last week by the
Wal-Mart Has 356 “Dark Stores” Available for Sale or Lease
March 5, 2005
Sprawl-Busters has completed its annual inventory of “available buildings” that the nation’s largest retail real estate company is hoping to unload. We have done this
Coalition Asks TIAA-CREF To Divest Shares of Wal-Mart Stock
March 5, 2005
Sprawl-Busters has joined a group called “The Make TIAA-CREF Ethical Coalition.” In an open letter sent last month to TIAA-CREF, which is America’s largest pension
More Union Troubles For Wal-Mart Canada
March 3, 2005
There’s a persistent chill in the air north of the border in the Canadian provinces, as Wal-Mart management continually is confronted with more and more
Grocer Blames Wal-Mart For Turning Stores Into “Roadkill.”
March 3, 2005
Reporters often ask for evidence of Wal-Mart’s economic impact on a local trade area. Often, local merchants don’t want to talk about the true impact
Town’s Moratorium Puts Wal-Mart On Hold
March 2, 2005
Despite Wal-Mart’s efforts to file a plan before the town of Ballston, New York could impose a moratorium, it appears that the giant retailer will
Local Residents Form Group to Push Back Wal-Mart Plan
March 2, 2005
Wal-Mart continues its saturation plans for the state of Oregon by forwarding a new plan to build a 149,000 s.f. store in Beaverton. A group
Wal-Mart Slams Door On the Way Out.
March 1, 2005
Talk about an awkward exit! Wal-Mart pulled out of a Cleveland, Ohio retail project, but made a lot of noise on the way out. The
Lowe’s Runs Into Buzz Saw Of Opposition
February 27, 2005
One Lowe’s in a community is often one more than enough. A proposed Lowe’s home improvement superstore got clear cut early this month, when the
Wal-Mart “Less Admired” on Fortune List
February 27, 2005
Wal-Mart’s own weight, perhaps, has caused it to slide down the list of Fortune Magazine’s “America’s Most Admired Companies” list. For the past several years,
Planning Commission Rejects Wal-Mart Expansion
February 27, 2005
When Wal-Mart first came to Warrenton, Virginia to propose a discount store, there were major protests and a court battle against the store. After a
Wal-Mart Told To Stop Harassing Its Workers
February 26, 2005
On the same day that Wal-Mart was crowing about an anti-union vote at its store in Loveland, Colorado, just over the border in Quebec, Canadian
Wal-Mart Expands “Global Procurement Center.”
February 25, 2005
Wal-Mart is addicted to Chinese take-out. The giant retailer is the largest importer of Chinese goods into America, and contributes greatly to our record balance
City Rejects Wal-Mart, Finds Plan All Wet
February 24, 2005
The Zoning Board of Appeals in Nashua, New Hampshire poured cold water last night on Wal-Mart’s hopes to build a supercenter in this community. The
Wal-Mart Loses Bite Of the Big Apple
February 24, 2005
Start spreading the news. They’re leaving today. They wanted to be a part of it, New York, New York — but it looks like Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart Slapped with $75 Million Disability Discrimination Fine
February 24, 2005
As we reported on February 4, 2005, a Wal-Mart employee with cerebral palsy had sued Wal-Mart in 2002 for discrimination against the disabled under the
34 Homeowners Displaced By Eminent Domain For A Wal-Mart
February 24, 2005
Once again, a home for Wal-Mart is costing local residents their homes. According to KSL TV 5 in Ogden, Utah, city officials are using their
Wal-Mart Leads to End of Mobile Home Park Across the Street
February 21, 2005
The residents of the Eastwood Mobile Home Park in Whitehall, Ohio are going to have to find a new place to live by August. The
Wal-Mart Request for Tax Breaks Refused.
February 20, 2005
Good news for residents of Pueblo West, Colorado: your community will not become defined as the place “with the Wal-Mart distribution center.” The deal has
Residents Continue To Resist Wal-Mart Plans
February 20, 2005
Last June, Newsflash reported on an effort to block Wal-Mart in Titusville, Florida. Here’s an update from the front lines received this week: “Titusville residents
Wal-Mart Continues Culturally Inappropriate Locations
February 20, 2005
Coming fresh off its successful construction of a discount store hard by the pyramid at Teotihuacan, Mexico, Wal-Mart is continuing its quest to find sacred
Citizen Wal-Mart Puts Building Size Cap on the Ballot
February 20, 2005
When Wal-Mart encounters a zoning law it doesn’t like, it simply dips into its corporate treasury, buys itself a public relations firm, adds some petition
Residents Sue Over Wal-Mart Development
February 20, 2005
In December, 2004, the Janesville, Wisconsin zoning board of appeals ruled that the town’s plan commission correctly awarded Wal-Mart a conditional-use permit to build a
Wal-Mart Appeals Court Decision Limiting Superstores
February 19, 2005
As expected, Wal-Mart has appealed a recent court decision that upheld the city of Turlock’s ban against supercenters. The Good Neighbor company’s decision means that
State Probes For More Wal-Mart Child Labor Violations
February 19, 2005
State lawmakers in Connecticut, and the state’s Attorney General want to investigate why Wal-Mart was granted a “sweetheart deal” by federal investigators working on cases
Feds Sue Wal-Mart For Sexual Harassment–Again.
February 19, 2005
Right in the middle of Wal-Mart’s largest public relations campain, the retailer can’t seem to dodge lawsuits from the federal government. First it was child
Residents Fight Image as ‘Discounter Town’.
February 19, 2005
In many communities across the country, citizens who already have one Wal-Mart store are saying that one Wal-Mart is one more than enough. Another community
Residents Gear Up To Keep Wal-Mart Out of the Cascades
February 19, 2005
Washington state is being assaulted by Wal-Mart supercenters, and the residents in many towns are taking up arms. Here’s a report from the front lines
Wal-Mart Lobbies Against State Health Care Law
February 19, 2005
Three Wal-Mart executives flew from Arkansas to Olympia, Washington this week to defend the company’s bottom line from a proposed state law that would make
Council Passes Economic Impact Study Ordinance
February 16, 2005
This week another community passed an ordinance that requires big box retailers to provide more information about their impact on the local economy. The Sacremento,
Target developer Sues Over Town’s Size Cap Ordinance
February 16, 2005
A Superior Court judge in Georgia has sided with the town of Peachtree City, Georgia (see earlier stories), which has adopted a land use ordinance
City Passes Six Month Moratorium On Big Boxes
February 16, 2005
The people from Lowe’s home improvement center were not pleased, but officials in Olympia, Washington this week passed a six month moratoriium on new big
Wal-Mart Changes Mind, Returns To Town
February 14, 2005
A lot of Wal-Mart opponents in Derry, New Hampshire were disappointed to learn this week that Wal-Mart has decided to try to build a superstore
Walgreens Loses Big General Motors Contract
February 13, 2005
The Walgreens drug store chain, with more than 4,200 stores nationwide, took a major financial hit this week when auto-maker General Motors Corp announced that
State Lawmakers Consider Bill To Tax Big Box Sales
February 13, 2005
On Tuesday, February 15, the state legislature in Montana will consider a bill filed by State Senator Ken Toole entitled the “Progressive Gross Receipts Tax
Wal-Mart Pays Another Wage & Hour “Settlement”
February 12, 2005
Here’s a case to refer to Wal-Mart’s new Office of Ethics: Is it ethical to use under-age workers to operate dangerous equipment? Is it ethical
Looks Like Wal-Mart’s Dead.
February 12, 2005
Wal-Mart has given the residents of Cobb County, Georgia an early Valentine’s gift. The giant retailer announced this week that is it abandoning plans to
Wal-Mart Pulls Out of Deal
February 12, 2005
Residents in Mokena, Illinois were not thrilled with the prospect of a Wal-Mart supercenter, but they were thrilled to learn this week that the giant
Wal-Mart Fights City Denial In Court Over Word Definitions
February 12, 2005
Wal-Mart, which likes to portray itself as a good neighbor, has taken another city to court for denying the retailer a superstore. In this case,
Wal-Mart Breaks Buildings Into Two To Escape County Size Cap
February 12, 2005
Every once in a while, Wal-Mart gets really creative in trying to circumvent local laws that limit big box retailers. In places like Warrenton, Virginia,
Why He Will Never Shop At Wal-Mart.
February 12, 2005
Mac McAllister says he is “a certified senior citizen.” He went to Wal Mart for the first time in his life recently. “It was one
Wal-Mart Shuts Down Store To Avoid Union Hassles
February 9, 2005
Wal-Mart threw a corporate tantrum today, announcing abruptly that it was closing down one of its stores in Quebec because it was getting nowhere with