Wal-Mart Loses Appeal in Gender Discrimination Class Action
February 6, 2007
The women of Wal-Mart will have their day in court. That was the upshot of the court ruling today that rocked the foundations in Bentonville,
Al Norman
City Wants Road, Not Wal-Mart
February 6, 2007
Robert Frost wrote about the road not taken. But this is a story about a road that was taken. At the end of January, Wal-Mart
Judge’s Ruling Blocks Wal-Mart Rezoning
February 4, 2007
Residents in Bedford, Michigan walked out of court February 2nd with a major victory over a proposed Wal-Mart supercenter. Judge Joseph A. Costello of the
Citizens Want Wal-Mart To Pay $5 Million for Community Development
January 31, 2007
The residents of a small city in Washington state are trying to turn a huge, Wal-Mart lemon into some lemon-aid for the community. On December
Wal-Mart Apologizes to 87,000 Workers For Overtime
January 29, 2007
Last week, Wal-Mart publicly apologized to 87,000 of its workers all across America, for denying them the overtime wages they were due. “We apologize to
Judge Rejects Wal-Mart Claim That Town Was Biased
January 25, 2007
Wal-Mart has taken public officials in Spring Township, Pennsylvania to court, charging that the township’s supervisors and attorney were “biased” against the retailer’s plans for
Citizens Hold Off Wal-Mart For 4 Years
January 23, 2007
On December 3, 2004, Sprawl-Busters reported that Wal-Mart opponents in Florence, South Carolina, calling themselves the Citizens for Responsible Economic Development (RED), had appealed a
Citizens Predict They Will Beat Wal-Mart
January 22, 2007
On May 22, 2004, Sprawl-Busters reported that Wal-Mart had lost a crucial vote in the city of Medford, Oregon. The Medford City Council overturned an
Home Depot, Don’t Phone Home
January 20, 2007
If you ask the residents of the Los Angeles, California neighborhood of Sunland-Tujunga, they will tell you that there are 9 Home Depots within a
Residents Organize to Nail Out Home Depot
January 20, 2007
Home Depot’s old slogan used to be, “Good things happen when Home Depot comes to town.” Residents in Ontario, California don’t consider Home Depot’s arrival
Wal-Mart Plan Heading To Voters
January 20, 2007
The residents of Harrison, Ohio may get the final say over whether or not they get a Wal-Mart supercenter. The Cincinnati Enquirer reports that yesterday
Wal-Mart Submits New Plan 55% Smaller
January 19, 2007
Citizen opposition has worn away at Wal-Mart over the years, and nowhere more clearly than in Manor Township, Pennslyvania, where opponents have literally ground the
Wal-Mart Wants To Expand Into Its Own Parking Lot
January 18, 2007
There were roughly 10,425 people in the village of Glen Carbon, Illinois at the 2000 census. The name of the town means “Coal Valley.” Its
Wal-Mart Developer Hit With $497,000 Fine For Landslide
January 17, 2007
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has fined the developers of a Wal-Mart project in Kilbuck Township, Pennsylvania, $497,000 — the maximum allowed by
Radio Towers Kill Wal-Mart Project
January 15, 2007
Anti-Wal-Mart activists have a new weapon in their arsenal: radio towers. News from Spokane, Washington today suggests a promising new tool in the battle against
Home Depot CEO Gets ‘Orange Parachute.’
January 14, 2007
The departure of Home Depot CEO Bob Nardelli on January 2nd has proven that a golden parachute looks even better in orange. Nardelli left Home
City Upset With Legal Bills From Fighting Wal-Mart
January 13, 2007
On October 18, 2006, Sprawl-Busters reported that the City Council in Neptune Beach, Florida had turned down a Wal-Mart superstore project in September, but had
Wal-Mart Shuts Down ‘Inefficient’ Superstore
January 11, 2007
Wal-Mart likes to brag that it rarely if ever shuts down a superstore. Later this month, it’s not only going to shut down a superstore
Wal-Mart Slam-Dunked Here Too’For Now.
January 10, 2007
On October 31, 2006, Sprawl-Busters reported that Wal-Mart was trying to “bribe” the city of Wichita, Kansas with a small land giveaway, in return for
Wal-Mart Gets Slam-Dunked By County
January 10, 2007
On August 24, 2006, Sprawl-Busters reported that Wal-Mart had submitted plans to build a 176,000 s.f. supercenter in Waxhaw, North Carolina. There are already two
Wal-Mart Construction Site Still Unstable From Landslide
January 7, 2007
It looks like Wal-Mart’s superstore plans in Kilbuck, Pennsylvania are slip-sliding away. All that’s on the site now is a great pile of debris. On
Citizens Group Sues City Over Wal-Mart Site Plan
January 7, 2007
There are six Wal-Mart stores in Austin, Texas, and 10 within 20 miles of the city. So it is not surprising that many Austin residents
Union Leader Sues City Over Conflict of Interest in Wal-Mart Vote
January 6, 2007
The President of the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW Local 1496) has taken the city of Anchorage, Alaska to court, arguing that a city
Wal-Mart Has To ‘Clarify’ Employee Scheduling System
January 6, 2007
Yesterday, Wal-Mart headquarters issued a press release to “clarify” its new employee scheduling system, which Sprawl-Busters sees as just the enhancement of its capacity to
Residents Battling Second Superstore Plan
January 6, 2007
Residents in Spring Hill, Florida feel they are swamped with Wal-Marts already, and don’t need more. There is already a Wal-Mart superstore on Commercial Way
Wal-Mart Wants Home Of Jell-O
January 3, 2007
LeRoy, New York is the home of the Jell-O Museum. It has an Agricultural Practices committee “to establish a better working relationship and understanding between
Hoover Jobs Vacuumed To China by Home Depot, Sears
January 1, 2007
Here’s a great “clean up” story to end 2006. It’s the story of how American jobs are being swept out of the country by the
Home Depot Tries Where Big Boxes Failed
December 31, 2006
In 2003, voters in Carbondale, Colorado overwhelmingly rejected a development plan to put a big box retail store in the so-called Crystal River Marketplace, a
Citizens Score Dramatic Courtroom Victory Over Wal-Mart
December 30, 2006
Citizens in Chelan, Washington have won a “white knuckle” victory, preventing a Wal-Mart superstore from opening just weeks before its ribbon-cutting. A court ruling has,
Mayor Calls Second Wal-Mart Site ‘Insane’
December 27, 2006
The Mayor of Fontana, California thinks Wal-Mart’s proposed site for a second supercenter in the city is “insane.” Wal-Mart has offered a plan for congested
Developer Gives Up Lawsuit To Build Wal-Mart
December 25, 2006
It looks like Wal-Mart’s effort to get into Crown Point, Indiana has stalled out in the courts. The Northwest Indiana Times reports this week that
Wal-Mart Opponents Put $5.8 Million “Bailout for Billionaires” On City Ballot
December 24, 2006
A decade ago, the community of Arvada, Colorado managed to stop Wal-Mart from paving over a lake in their community. Now the retail giant is
Neighbors Upset By Plans For Wal-Mart Supercenters
December 22, 2006
There are two Wal-Mart discount stores in Lancaster, California, and for those addicted to supercenters, the one on Palmdale is roughly 6 miles away. But
Wal-Mart Returns To Site Of Earlier Defeat
December 22, 2006
On May 3, 2005, Sprawl-Busters reported that a 220,000 s.f. Wal-Mart supercenter on route 117 in Leominster, Massachusetts was pulled from a developer’s plan to
Home Depot Board Rejects Shareholder Plan To Address ‘Chronic Inferior Stock Price.’
December 19, 2006
Home Depot announced yesterday that it has received notice from Relational Investors, an investment firm based in San Diego, California, that Relational intends to submit
Another Wal-Mart Sinks Below the Waves
December 19, 2006
Sprawl-Busters is playing catch-up with this case. The developer Widewaters Group, of DeWitt, New York, has gotten into water over its head in a number
Judge Likely To Toss Out Sweatshop Lawsuit, But Allow Refiling
December 16, 2006
On September 18, 2005, Sprawl-Busters reported that workers in six foreign countries had filed a class action lawsuit against Wal-Mart in the California court system,
Wal-Mart Plans to Wipe Out Mobile Home Park
December 16, 2006
The state of Wisconsin currently has nine dead Wal-Mart stores on the “available buildings” list, or a total of 772,376 square feet of dark stores.
Residents Fight Wal-Mart Saturation
December 10, 2006
Sam Walton bragged that his company “became our own competition.” Wall Street analysts have noted that the retailer’s superstores are so close together that they
Wal-Mart Appeals Rejection
December 10, 2006
Sprawl-Busters reported on November 16, 2006 that a Hearing Officer in Gresham, Oregon had ruled against a Wal-Mart supercenter in Gresham, closing out a two
Proposed Superstore Even Too Big For Texas
December 10, 2006
Texas, which has more dead Wal-Marts than any other state in the nation, is the battleground for yet another big box superstore. Residents from Austin,
City Council Overturns Planning Vote And Oks Wal-Mart
December 9, 2006
Small businesses in Fairfield, California are going to be tutored by Wal-Mart on how to survive the giant retailer. That’s one stipulation in a bizarre
Labor Groups Warn of Wal-Mart’s Damage To Indian Economy
December 9, 2006
Workers’ rights groups in India are speaking out against the recently-announced entrance of Wal-Mart into the Indian economy via a partnership with an Indian media
City Workers Retirement System Wants Wal-Mart Report
December 9, 2006
The New York City Employees’ Retirement System, which owns Wal-Mart stock, has submitted to the retailer the following shareholder resolution for the retailer’s annual meeting
Township Turns Down Wal-Mart, Again, In Ten Year Battle
December 9, 2006
On December 29, 2004, Sprawl-Busters wrote: “In 1996, Wal-Mart announced its intention to build a superstore in the small community of Manor Township, Pennsylvania. Wal-Mart
The Great Anti-Wal-Mart T Shirt Battle
December 6, 2006
The First Amendment ran smack into a Wal-Mart supercenter earlier this week in the city of Littleton, Colorado. What started off as citizen opposition to
County Officials Threaten to Shut Down Home Depot
December 6, 2006
Home Depot has been operating a store outside of Salt Lake City for roughly three years. But officials in the county are ready to shut
Wal-Mart Settles ‘Dead Peasants’ Life Insurance Lawsuit
December 5, 2006
On January 10, 2004, Sprawl-Busters reported that a court ruled that Wal-Mart had unlawfully taken survivor’s benefits away from families of deceased Wal-Mart employees. These
Developer Dumps Wal-Mart From Plan
December 4, 2006
On January 8, 2006, Sprawl-Busters presented the story of a huge retail development in Covington, Louisiana that had a Wal-Mart and a Sam’s Club in
Wal-Mart Wants Drive-In Movie Site
December 4, 2006
The residents of Angola, New York feel like they’re in the middle of a bad movie, and Wal-Mart is playing the leading role. This week,