Wal-Mart’s “Rare” Withdrawal
January 8, 2001
We reported over the past week-end that Wal-Mart has been stuck for two years in Plymouth, New Hampshire, wrangling with landowners, and today another story
Al Norman
Sears/Other Retail Casualties
January 5, 2001
The holiday season keeps rolling right over retailers, as Hoffman Estates, Illinois-based Sears announced this week that it was shutting down 89 stores (53 auto
2 Years After OK, Still No Wal-Mart
January 5, 2001
Good things come to those who wait. But patience is wearing thin in some quarters of Plymouth, New Hampshire, the town where Wal-Mart just can’t
First Bradlees, Now Montgomery Ward
December 29, 2000
The old year 2000 went out with a retail groan, as thousands of workers were thrown out of work, victims of the “one country, one
Wal-Mart Withdraws–For Now.
December 28, 2000
Activists in Bangor, Maine have a victory to celebrate this week, but it is likely to be a short one. According to the Bangor Daily
City Passes Big Box Limits
December 23, 2000
Big box retailers were 3 time losers this week, as the city of Glendale, Arizona went “outside of the box” to control the proliferation of
Another Regional Chain gone
December 23, 2000
After 42 years in retailing, another large New England retail chain store has gone out of business — a victim of aggressive dominance by the
Food Fight Over Krogers
December 19, 2000
Residents in the small Ohio city of London have gotten into a food fight with the nation’s largest grocery chain. Krogers wants to abandon its
Wal-Mart’s “Community Hotline”
December 17, 2000
In my book, “Slam-Dunking Wal-Mart”, I describe the campaign tactics Wal-Mart uses when trying to lobby for a store in a local community. One of
Proposal to Ban Superstores.
December 14, 2000
According to the Supermarket News, Irish Environment Minister Noel Dempsey is poised to introduce legislation banning the development of superstores. The source of their tip
Wal-Mart Workers Comp Decertified
December 13, 2000
Wal-Mart likes to tell communities they are “one of the best companies to work for…that’s a reputation we work hard to preserve.” Apparently the state
Wal-Mart is Ashes in Asheville
December 9, 2000
On September 7, 2000, newsflash brought you the story of Wal-Mart’s woes in Asheville, North Carolina. This is a community where Wal-Mart already has two
Home Base Nailed Shut
December 8, 2000
“Would you like Blue or Orange?” That’s the home improvement choice facing consumers, as yet another regional building supply store bites the dust. Home Base,
Proposed Wal-Mart Runs Into Traffic Problems
December 8, 2000
A proposed 98,000 s.f. Wal-Mart in Albuquerque, New Mexico got stuck in traffic this week, as planners and regulators gave the project a thumbs down.
Citizens Fight Lowe’s Gorilla
December 6, 2000
Bob Tillman, the CEO of Lowe’s home improvement stores, told the Wall Street Journal last month that “we want to be the 500 pound gorilla
Wal-Mart Sees 2-3 Losses Per Year
December 3, 2000
Wal-Mart is supposed to be good with numbers, but they can’t count very high when it comes to tracking losing superstore battles at the local
Locals Want Home Depot to Cut Bait
December 3, 2000
Everyone knows that Home Depot is a Big Fish in the retailing world. But all retailing is local, and sometimes the company is just a
Super K is not OK
December 2, 2000
The idea of Kmart’s Blue Light specials has residents in Chesapeake, Virginia seeing red. On an appropriately named “Battlefield Boulevard”, Kmart wants to rezone 19
Wal-Mart’s A 4 Time Loser
December 1, 2000
Wal-Mart rolled snake-eyes in Reno, Nevada this week. According to the November 29th. Reno Gazette-Journal, a traffic consultant hired by area residents helped convince the
Wal-Mart Developer Loses Appeal on Legal Technicality
November 28, 2000
A developer’s legal appeal to build a huge Wal-Mart supercenter within a water protection district has been sunk on a legal technicality. On February 19,
Developer Uses Wal-Math
November 28, 2000
On October 21, 2000 newsflash reported on community opposition in Foster, PA to a proposed Wal-Mart supercenter that abuts residential property and an important town
IKEA, 2nd. Home Depot Opposed
November 19, 2000
IKEA, the Swedish build-it-from-a-box furniture retailer, has had trouble assembling public support for its 265,000 s.f. store in the City Park neighborhood of New Rochelle,
Canadians Fight Home Depot
November 13, 2000
Just as a reminder that companies like Home Depot encounter opposition everywhere they go — including outside of the U.S., here’s a message I received
Wal-Mart in a marsh.
November 12, 2000
As Hurricane Wal-Mart continues to batter the coast of Maine with at least 5 superstore proposals, citizens in Bangor have already experienced the usual high
40% Vote for Cap, Not Enough
November 12, 2000
Citizens in Topsham, Maine, in an effort to educate voters about the harm that follows superstore sprawl, put a question on the November 7th. ballot
Wal-Mart A Two-Time Loser
November 11, 2000
Over the past ten months, we’ve run 4 newsflash articles about a developer’s attempts to locate a Wal-Mart supercenter in Pickens County, just over the
Welfare for Home Depot
November 11, 2000
Once again the federal taxpayers have subsidized the world’s largest home improvement center. Back in 1973, the federal government donated 70 acres of land to
Wal-Mart Gives New England Gas
November 5, 2000
Sunoco, Inc, one of the big gas suppliers in New England, has announced that it has signed an agreement with Wal-Mart to build gas stations
12 Month Cap on Home Depot
November 4, 2000
Just about a year ago (see 10/18/99 newsflash) we reported that Mayor Willie Brown of San Francisco was being lobbied by a former staff member,
Home Depot Clams Up Over Injuries
November 4, 2000
The national media has finally twisted the wrench on Home Depot’s dangerous shopping environment, and the company is feeling the pressure. We have reported here
Let Meijer’s Beware!
November 4, 2000
Organized opposition from residents in Lisle, IL has put the brakes on a Meijer’s superstore that we first mentioned in newsflash back on 12/19/99 (see
Planning Board Denies Home Depot
November 3, 2000
Home Depot developers may have read the Milford Township, Pennsylvania Zoning Ordinance, but may not have read far enough. On page 62 of 65, the
Saving Face from Home Depot
October 28, 2000
Citizens in the southern California town of Agoura are trying to “save face” — literally, save Ladyface Mountain, from the double scourge of Home Depot
Legal Protest Against Wal-Mart
October 25, 2000
Residents in Lee’s Summit, Missouri have held a couple of “summits” of their own to discuss how they can stop Wal-Mart from building a supercenter
Wal-Mart Traffic “Nightmare”
October 25, 2000
Sprawl-busters in Spartanburg, South Carolina report that Wal-Mart is trying to push a 220,000 s.f. supercenter onto Webber Road and East Main Street. The proposed
$2 M in Welfare for Wal-Mart
October 21, 2000
According to Fortune Maagazine’s “Global 500″ list, Wal-Mart, Inc. is the second largest global corporation in the world, with total revenues in 1999 of $167
Shhh. Secret Home Depot.
October 21, 2000
Last spring, the Des Plaines, Illinois Journal published a front page story stating that city officials were holding closed door meetings with a Home Depot
Wal-Mart Wants Residential La
October 21, 2000
Residents in Foster Township, PA are trying to explain why Wal-Mart feels the need to rezone land that is currently classified as forest/slope residential to
Early Morning Slam Dunk of Wal.
October 13, 2000
Most of the participants at the Fort Wright, Kentucky hearing on a Wal-Mart supercenter were bleary-eyed by 2:30 AM, but for those who stayed until
David Glass Kicked out of Store
October 12, 2000
First Germany. Then Wisconsin. Now Oklahoma. Wal-Mart is battling predatory pricing charges in a growing number of juridictions. This latest case involves scanners, David Glass,
Council Pulls the Plug On Wal-Mart
October 7, 2000
Wal-Mart’s bluff backfired. It looks like there will not be a 24 hour Wal-Mart supercenter on the corner of 24th. and Baseline Road in Phoenix,
Home Depot Dead in Hawaii
October 6, 2000
According to the headline in the August 21, 2000 Hawaii Star-Bulletin: HOME DEPOT SCRAPS PLANS FOR HAWAII KAI. News travels slowly sometimes along the sprawl-busters
No One Speaks Up for Wal-Mart
October 6, 2000
The state of Kentucky doesn’t need any more empty Wal-Marts. The state already has 14 Wal-Marts on the market, making it the 9th. highest state
Wal-Mart Sues After Loss
October 6, 2000
As predicted (see 9/8/00 newsflash), after the City Council of Westerville, OH voted unanimously to reject a 212,000 s.f. Wal-Mart supercenter, the developer’s lawyers sued
More Wal-Mart Predatory Pricing
September 27, 2000
Having been slapped around pretty hard by the Germans for predatory pricing (see 9/12/00 below), now Wal-Mart has run smack into the same charge in
Wal-Mart Gone: “Just Doesn’t Fit”
September 21, 2000
On September 16 (see below) the city of Kennedale, Texas acted to keep Wal-Mart’s rear end out of its borders. Three days later, on September
A Pathetic Wal-Mart employee story
September 19, 2000
Couple Charged for Tying Up Girls. That’s the headline on an Associated Press story out of Des Moines, Iowa. According to the AP, a couple
Developer Loses Wal-Mart Appeal
September 19, 2000
It was all hugs and congratulations yesterday, as anti-Wal-Mart activist watch a Maryland judge reject a developer’s appeal against a county commissioner’s decision that prevented
Wal-Mart’s Speculative Economics
September 17, 2000
For the third time in the past six months, the Mason City, Iowa Planning & Zoning Commission has voted against the so-called Indianhead Farms project,
Wal-Mart On Nov 7th Ballot
September 17, 2000
An update on the on-going effort by residents of Topsham, Maine to stop a mall with a 205,000 s.f. Wal-Mart supercenter (see 8/26/00 and 8/31/00