Wal-Mart’s Seven Year Itch
December 28, 2001
In my book, Slam-Dunking Wal-Mart, I list Guelph, Ontario as a Canadian community that defeated Wal-Mart. It turns out that Wal-Mart’s “itch” to get into
Al Norman
Home Depot On the Ballot in March
December 26, 2001
Over a year ago, newsflash described the efforts of residents in Agoura Hills, California to keep out big box sprawl (see 10/28/00 newsflash). Here’s an
Citizens Want Santa to Return Superstore
December 26, 2001
Residents in Union County, North Carolina got a Christmas present they want to return — unopened. Here’s a direct report from sprawl-busters on site: “We
Red Carpet for Wal-Mart?
December 22, 2001
Wal-Mart came to Southlake,Texas just eight years ago. Now they want to move out of their current building into a bigger supercenter. Texas leads the
Wal-Mart Pays $6.8 Million Over Discrimination
December 20, 2001
Sprawl-Busters reported in a newsflash dated March 8, 1999, that the federal Equal Employment Opportunities Commission (EEOC) had sued Wal-Mart for discriminating against the disabled
Target Jumps Ship from Widewaters Plan
December 16, 2001
On June 1, 2001, Newsflash carried a story about the Target Corporation’s efforts to locate a huge store in the viewshed of Buttermilk Falls in
Two Sides to the Lowe’s Octagon Center
December 15, 2001
Residents in Lower Makefield, Pennsylvania have sued the town for revising its master plan to make room on 138 acres of land the development of
Talk of Wal-Mart Ruins Dinner
December 11, 2001
Here’s proof positive that Wal-Mart can ruin your appetite. A group of residents of Bedford,Michigan found their evening meal left a sour taste when the
Wal-Mart Supercenter in Wetlands.
December 11, 2001
Kathlyn Know has a Wal-Mart superstore battle on her hands in the small town of Waveland, Mississippi. Even though Waveland has six Wal-Mart stores within
Wal-Mart Partner Creates Price Stir
December 10, 2001
The ASDA supermarket chain in Britain, which united with Wal-Mart to introduce superstores to the United Kindom, has fallen into the same misleading advertising scheme
Wal-Mart Opposition In Second Year
December 10, 2001
We’ve been following the battle of Spring Hill, Florida vs. Wal-Mart for just about two years now. On December 28, 1999, we presented the story
Home Depot Diversifies into Bug Control
December 10, 2001
There’s some good news and bad news for sprawl-busters coming from the November 30th. stock analyst briefing with Home Depot and Lowe’s. The good news
Wal-Mart Discrimination Case Stays in CA.
December 7, 2001
Last June we told you about the massive sex discrimination suit being brought against Wal-Mart (see 6/21/01 newsflash) by its female employees. A similar suit
Wal-Mart Battles Over Water
December 7, 2001
Here’s the latest in the saga of Overland Park, Kansas v. Wal-Mart, which we have been following for over a year (search “Overland Park”). According
Wal-Mart charged with racial slurs
December 2, 2001
Charges of racial slurs and mistreatment of workers has triggered a boycott of Wal-Mart stores by a group called the Mexican American Political Association. According
Sprawl-Buster Elected Mayor
December 2, 2001
The Citizen News in Fayetteville, Georgia reported this week that just over 5,000 Peachtree City, Georgia residents spoke up at the polls on November 27th,
Empty Box Syndrome
December 2, 2001
Charlotte, North Carolina leads the state in empty Wal-Mart stores, and more are on the way. Accordng to the Business Journal of Charlotte, the Crosland
Wal-Mart Jobs: Running in Place?
December 2, 2001
The Black Horse Pike Shopping Center in Audubon, Pennsylvania is nearly empty. But according to a report this week in the Philadelphia Inquirer, the hard
Home Depot’s “Urban” Store
November 20, 2001
Some of the big box retailers are promoting “urban” designs with great fanfare, as if they had discovered a new concept. For Wal-Mart, it was
Wal-Mart Annexation Defeated
November 17, 2001
According to sprawl-busters in Longmont, Colorado, a Wal-Mart proposal to annex 27 acres of land for a new Supercenter was nixed this week on a
Wal-Mart Horrendous Neighbor
November 17, 2001
Twenty homeowners in Lake Charles, Louisiana have filed a lawsuit against Wal-Mart, its developer, and the construction company who put up a supercenter in their
Existing Wal-Mart Not Enough.
November 17, 2001
Sprawl-Busters in Southlake, Texas report that residents are organizing to block a Wal-Mart supercenter. Citizens report that “Town council is very publicly soliciting Wal-Mart not
Wal-Mart is Baaaack!
November 7, 2001
On February 8, 2001, newsflash reported that residents of Overland Park, Kansas has managed to repell a Wal-Mart Supercenter, by gathering protest petitions from abuttors,
Wal-Mart Wants Hood, Not Cap
November 6, 2001
Residents in Hood River, Oregon are in a race for time with a Wal-Mart supercenter. Hood River already has a Wal-Mart, but now they are
Wal-Mart Fails to Get 3 Votes
November 3, 2001
On September 11, 2001, we told you about the story of Wal-Mart’s efforts to bust into Reedley, California, and the arrogance of company’s statement that
Lowe’s Provokes NoMall Opposition
November 3, 2001
Sprawl-Buster Ted Morgan of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania writes that “Our group NoMall (for “Neighborhood Organizations Mobilized to Assure Local Livability”) in Bethlehem, PA. is fighting the
200 CVS stores go dark
November 3, 2001
What goes up, must come down. Many of those free-standing CVS convenience stores that went up and drove community groups wild, are now going down.
Adios, Home Depot!
October 28, 2001
Don’t Cry for Home Depot, Argentina. The company announced this week an agreement to sell its four Argentine stores to Hipermercados Jumbo, plus five stores
Corporate Welfare for Target
October 23, 2001
Free Market advocates take note: Corporate Welfare is alive and thriving in the Keystone state! According to PR Newswire, Gov. Mark Schweiker announced this week
Court Sends Wal-Mart Back To Planning Board
October 14, 2001
A spokesman for the Mayor of North Tonawanda, New York says that this week’s court decision to send a Wal-Mart supercenter back to the Planning
Big Boxes Need Special Permit
October 12, 2001
The President of San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors, Tom Ammiano, is making it tough for stores with big box formats to barge into the City
Target Shoots Wide of Regulations
October 12, 2001
Residents in the small town (pop 9,000) of Canton, Connecticut have organized into a group to stop development of 16 acres of land by the
Home Depot Drops Out of Plan
October 12, 2001
On April 13, 2001, we narrated the story of the little town of Bethlehem, New York, where residents of a group called Plan 9W (named
Wal-Mart Sued Over Store Expansion
October 3, 2001
Connecticut’s Attorney General thinks Wal-Mart has been reckless and irresponsible. The AG announced last week that he is suing Wal-Mart for trying to expand its
Plug Pulled on Wal-Mart
October 3, 2001
Jim Witte, a sprawl-buster in Clemson, South Carolina, forwards this report of a victory against Wal-Mart: “As you may recall our City Council refused to
Kmart Gun Death Worth $3 M
October 3, 2001
On May 22, 1996, nineteen year old Ryan Eslinger walked into his local Kmart in Park City, Utah, and walked out with a shotgun and
Wal-Mart Battle Turns Bitter in Sugar House
October 3, 2001
A bitter battle is taking shape in Sugar House. On August 30, 2007, Sprawl-Busters reported that Wal-Mart had its eyes on Sugar House, one of
Wal-Mart Divides City.
September 11, 2001
Sprawl-Busters in Reedley, California report that the city is deeply split over a planned Wal-Mart store. Wal-Mart is part of a 68-acre commercial and residential
More Crime At Wal-Mart
September 11, 2001
According to a report in the August 27th issue of the Waterloo-Cedar Falls (lowa) Courier, a man walked into the Super Wal-Mart in Waterloo on
One Alderman Gets It Right.
September 10, 2001
At least one Alderman in Delavan, Wisconsin got it right. Alderman Ron Siedelmann has told the Janesville Gazette that on September 11th. he will ask
Merchants Sue City Over Wal-Mart
September 8, 2001
First a Wal-Mart developer sued the city of Buffalo, Minnesota. Now it’s the merchants turn. On April 3, 2001, newsflash recorded the results of my
Sycamore Sprawl: Costco & Lowe’s
September 8, 2001
The Mayor of Matthews, North Carolina has described a 620,000 s.f. mall opening in his community as “pedestrian friendly”, because part of the mall has
Home Depot Vs. Rep. Kucinich
September 8, 2001
U.S. Congressman Dennis Kucinich, the former Mayor of Cleveland, has taken on Home Depot. The Congressman from Ohio told the Parma, Ohio City Council that
Wal-Mart Loses Appeal on Traffic
September 7, 2001
Another community Slam-Dunks Wal-Mart! Sprawl-Busters in Hagerstown , Maryland report that at the end of July, a Washington County Circuit Court Judge ruled in favor
CVS vs. The Black Horse Inn
September 7, 2001
CVS, the company which describes itself as “America’s #1 pharmacy”, has 4,134 stores sprawled across 32 states and the District of Columbia. On the other
Wal-Mart Lobbying for Support
September 6, 2001
Since 1997, Wal-Mart has been trying to close down its existing store in the small college town of DeLand, Florida, and build a huge, 210,000
Payless Turns to Sawdust
September 5, 2001
After 71 years in the building materials industry, Payless Cashways, with headquarters in Lee’s Summit, Missouri, has cashed in its chips. In and out of
Wal-Mart’s Concrete Jungle
September 4, 2001
Two citizens groups in the Houston suburb of Atascocita, Texas say that Wal-Mart can’t see the trees or the forest. Residents of Harris County say
Wal-Mart Sued by its Own Workers
September 4, 2001
“Our people make the difference,” Wal-Mart likes to say. Apparently three former Wal-Mart workers want the difference in back pay from the company, and they
Kmart BlueLights Cartoons: Always?
August 31, 2001
Shove over, George Jetson. Make room for the new Kmart “animated characters” called “the BlueLights” as part of their national advertising campaign promoting reduced prices