Another City ‘Caps’ The Size of Stores
November 30, 2006
Big box stores can be stopped with one little sentence. A growing number of communities are amending their zoning code to keep out very large
Uncategorized
Nearly 30% Of Americans Hold Unfavorable View of Wal-Mart
November 29, 2006
A survey of 1,000 adult Americans released this week by Rasmussen Reports of Asbury Park, New Jersey shows that 29% of Americans have an unfavorable
Survey Says 68% Don’t Want Wal-Mart In Their Town.
November 26, 2006
The Saint Consulting Group, based on Hingham, Massachusetts, has released a second annual national survey on Americans’ attitude towards Wal-Mart land use proposals. The study
Residents Slowing Down Superstore Pair
November 26, 2006
Wal-Mart has announced two superstore projects along interstate 99 in Freedom and Antis, Pennsylvania. The Freedom location is off the Roaring Spring exit of route
Wal-Mart Returns To Try Again
November 23, 2006
On September 14, 2005, Sprawl-Busters reported that the Planning & Zoning Commission in Avondale, Arizona had unanimously rejected Wal-Mart’s application to build a superstore in
City Unhappy With Dead Wal-Mart property
November 22, 2006
Sand Springs, Oklahoma has a shiny new Wal-Mart Supercenter on one side of the city, but the trade off was — — they now have
Wal-Mart Returns From the Dead
November 21, 2006
There are towns in America known as communities that Wal-Mart killed twice — once when they opened, and a second time when they closed. This
Court Rules Against Nearly-Completed Wal-Mart
November 21, 2006
Wal-Mart was stunned last Friday by a court ruling in a superstore project in the city of American Canyon, California, where local officials tripped over
Wal-Mart Defeated on Traffic Issues
November 16, 2006
Sprawl-Busters began writing about Gresham, Oregon almost two years ago. The retailer’s plans to put a store in this city probably seemed like a sure
Wal-Mart Sees Rising Sun in Japan.
November 15, 2006
A Wal-Mart VP for international marketing has suggested that Wal-Mart will soon announce its expanding ownership of the Japanese retailer, Seiyu, which Newsflash reported last
Wal-Mart Drops Tax Lawsuit Against Town
November 14, 2006
The Wal-Mart store in Geneva, New York did not like its property tax assessment, so it sued the town to get it dramatically cut. But
Size Cap Stops Wal-Mart ‘In Our Tracks’
November 14, 2006
It’s possible to stop a Wal-Mart with one sentence. A growing number of communities across the country have done it. Covington Township, Pennsylvania found out
Voters Elect Two Anti-Wal-Mart Candidates
November 13, 2006
Democracy can be very messy. Wal-Mart now has an unplanned mess on its hands in its on-going battle to push a superstore into Atascadero, California.
Wal-Mart Delayed By At Least A Year
November 13, 2006
On September 17, 2006, Sprawl-Busters reported that citizens in Mill Creek, Washington had forced Wal-Mart to do an Environmental Impact Study(EIS). They fought the retailer,
Lowe’s Loses For Second Time
November 12, 2006
Lowe’s home improvement store is a two-time loser in Westlake Village, California. Sprawl-Busters reported on January 21, 2006 that the City Council had voted 2-2
Wal-Mart Tries To ‘Smuggle In’ Superstore
November 8, 2006
The Wal-Mart superstore in the city of El Centro, California was in the news recently when two former Border Patrol agents were sentenced to more
Wal-Mart Plans Trio of Stores In One City
November 7, 2006
All it took was the huge shadow of a proposed Wal-Mart to spur citizens in Victorville, California to form a group to stop it. The
Wal-Mart Goes To Voters To Repeal Grocery Size Limit
November 7, 2006
Citizen Wal-Mart doesn’t like zoning ordinances that limit store size, or the content inside the store, so when the city council in Long Beach, California
Wal-Mart Spends Big Bucks In City Council Race
November 6, 2006
Citizen Wal-Mart is spending big bucks in the Antioch, California city Council race, right before a key vote on their superstore project. A state senator
Wal-Mart Pays $35 Million To Build Supercenter
November 6, 2006
Wal-Mart and public officials in Pima County, Arizona have reached a “development agreement” in which the giant retailer gets to build a supercenter southwest of
Planning Commission Rejects Wal-Mart On Tie Vote
November 2, 2006
Wal-Mart lost another one this week in a tie vote by Planning Commissioners in Fairfield, California. Sprawl-Busters wrote about Fairfield on April 29, 2006, when
Wal-Mart Bribes City With Land Offer
October 31, 2006
Once again Wal-Mart is leading the way in demonstrating how good land use deals should be made in America. The Wichita Eagle reports this week
Nation Braces for Wal-Mart Invasion
October 30, 2006
The government in India is preparing for an invasion by the French, British and Americans — but not a single shot will be fired. These
Citizens Don’t Want To “Settle” for Wal-Mart
October 29, 2006
Sprawl-Busters reported on November 16, 2002, that township officials had updated their zoning code to put a limit on the size of stores in a
Residents Argue Case In Court Against Wal-Mart
October 29, 2006
At least four parties are locked in a legal dispute before the First District Court of Appeals in San Francisco over an embattled Wal-Mart superstore
Home Depot Trees To Offset Its Carbon Emissions?
October 28, 2006
In one of the more tortured twists of logic, one of the world’s largest producers of wasteful sprawl, is going to plant thousands of trees
Wal-Mart Customer Service Horror Story
October 26, 2006
The following story combines Wal-Mart’s customer service attitude and its philanthropy. In this case, however, Wal-Mart gives away someone else’s property. Former Wal-Mart CEO David
Wal-Mart Says It Will ‘Reduce Growth’ of U.S. Stores
October 23, 2006
Sprawl-Busters has long held that Wal-Mart is building stores to meet expectations on Wall Street, rather than to meet needs on Main Street. Placing stores
Home Depot Rolls Out Health Insurance Plan For Busineses
October 21, 2006
You thought Home Depot was only good at importing Chinese ceiling fans? Actually, the world’s largest home improvement chain appears to be willing to sell
Home Depot Returns to City That Rejected Them.
October 20, 2006
On March 8, 2002, Sprawl-Busters brought you the story of Measure N in Mountain View, California. This was a ballot question to allow Home Depot
Home Depot To Return with Smaller Plan
October 19, 2006
Honey, they shrunk the Home Depot! Residents in Billerica, Massachusetts who have been fighting a Home Depot within an existing neighborhood shopping center in their
Couple Sues Town Over ‘Secret’ Wal-Mart Process
October 19, 2006
The News Journal reports this week that two Middletown Village, Delaware residents are again suing Middletown seeking to overturn a third rezoning of property for
Wal-Mart Pressures Town To Negotiate Rejection
October 18, 2006
Neptune Beach, Florida said No, but Wal-Mart doesn’t like to accept rejection. So the company has resorted to legal pressure to push city officials to
Hollywood Business People Honor Wal-Mart ‘Sustainability’
October 18, 2006
Hollywood, the city of make-believe, is the appropriate place to honor Wal-Mart CEO Lee Scott. According to the Los Angeles Times, the giant retailer is
Residents Oppose Wal-Mart ‘Shark.’
October 18, 2006
Several months ago, Sprawl-Busters heard from residents in Spring Valley, New York, who were organizing opposition to a proposed 215,000 s.f. Super Wal-Mart in Monsey,
Wal-Mart de Mexico Target Of Rising Protests
October 17, 2006
Wal-Mart is becoming a high-visibility target south of the border, where the giant retailer has dominated Mexican retailing, to the detriment of thousands of smaller
Wal-Mart Workers Walk Off Job Over Cut In Hours
October 17, 2006
Wal-Mart says it was all just a “mistake.” But when the giant retailer published its work schedule for superstore #2814 in Hialeah Gardens, Florida, many
Home Depot Contributes To The Right-Wing Agenda
October 17, 2006
“You can do it,” Home Depot says to Republican politicians, “and we can help.” According to a report in Bloomberg News, the orange home improvement
Jesse Jackson Says Wal-Mart Trying To Buy Off Black Critics
October 15, 2006
Silence is golden. But can gold buy silence? A report in today’s Louisiana Weekly quotes Jesse Jackson, Sr., president of the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, as charging
Residents Organize to Fight Lowe’s Saturation
October 15, 2006
Residents in Lafayette, Colorado have sent Sprawl-Busters the following report about their battle to keep out a home improvement chain store: “A group called Preserve
Wal-Mart Loses Again In Off the Clock Lawsuit
October 13, 2006
Rather than pay its workers for every minute they work, Wal-Mart would rather pay for only some of those minutes, and attract millions of dollars
Wal-Mart Subsidy Deal Dead’For Now
October 12, 2006
On September 21, 2006, Sprawl-Busters reported that city officials in Broomfield, Colorado had offered to pay for 49% of the cost of site acquisition for
Wal-Mart A Sore Loser: Sues Town
October 12, 2006
What you can’t get by regulation, try to get by litigation. That’s been Wal-Mart’s mantra for years. Sprawl-Busters noted on July 20, 2006, that the
Landslide Buries Wal-Mart Project In Delays
October 9, 2006
On September 20, 2006, Sprawl-Busters reported that two rockslides had shut down further work on a Wal-Mart supercenter in Kilbuck township, Pennsylvania. Residents in Kilbuck
Wal-Mart Uses Internet To Line Up Oregon Supporters
October 9, 2006
Borrowing a page from its citizen group opponents, Wal-Mart is doing a little community organizing in the state of Oregon, hoping to improve its lagging
Wal-Mart Plan Must Start Over Due To Reviewer’s Bias
October 6, 2006
It’s been a long, strange trip for Wal-Mart in the town of St. Albans, Vermont. Rejected by the courts in 1995, Wal-Mart returned to the
Home Depot, Lowe’s Pylon in Katrina’s rubble.
October 2, 2006
Hurricanes are disasters for some people, but just another business opportunity for others. It seems that Hurricane Katrina has not only destroyed a significant part
Wal-Mart Withdraws Superstore Plan
October 1, 2006
It’s been a terrible couple of months for Wal-Mart in New York state. The retailer lost battles in September in Amherst, and Victor, New York,
Home Depot Leaves Empty Store
October 1, 2006
Home Depot doesn’t get as much publicity as Wal-Mart Realty over the empty stores it leaves behind when the corporation decides to abandon its buildings
Wal-Mart Stores Making People Sick—Literally
October 1, 2006
Residents in Sturbridge,Massachusetts, home to historic Sturbridge Village, fought a Wal-Mart store for several years. The group Save Our Sturbridge (SOS) took the developer, W.S.