Township Passes Store Size Limit, Still Fighting Wal-Mart
November 16, 2002
Sprawl-Busters in Bedford Township, Michigan report that they have updatd their zoning code to — among other things — put a limit on the size
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Citizens organizing to block Wal-Mart.
November 16, 2002
The temperature is rising in Abingdon, Virginia, as residents get organized to fend off another unwanted Wal-Mart superstore in Virginia, a state that already has
Everytime Home Depot Returns, Residents Give Them The Bird.
November 12, 2002
Home Depot must assume that if the swallows can return to San Juan Capistrano — they can too. But every time the Orange giant flaps
Target and Kohl’s Superstores Fail to Get Supermajority.
November 12, 2002
Residents in Stilwell, Kansas got a two-for-one victory last week when they toppled two of the largest chain stores in America. An account from the
Residents Win Big Against Big Box Stores at Ballot Box.
November 11, 2002
Anti-sprawl activists cleaned the deck on November 5th. when they swept all 5 Talbot County Council seats with their candidates,and won on 2 ballot questions
Moratorium Bids Fails. Big Box Money Prevails.
November 11, 2002
Newsflash reported last winter that a community group called Citizens for Responsible Development (CORD) was pushing for a ballot question to create a development moratorium
Homework for Wal-Mart
November 11, 2002
A New York Times reporter (2/16/99) has proclaimed that “Wal-Mart is no longer treated as an invader” in New England, but nearly 400 residents of
Opponents of Costco arrested and jailed.
November 10, 2002
The Costco controversy in Cuernavaca, Mexico goes on, and the government is cracking down harder on protestors who want to prevent Costco from destroying the
Citizens Take City to Court to Stop Sloppy Decision in Menard’s Case.
November 10, 2002
On July 23, 2002, Newsflash informed readers of a battle taking place in Baraboo, Wisconsin against a Menard’s home improvement superstore. Menard’s is a 160
Big K becoming Little K, as Kmart Lists More Store Closings.
November 8, 2002
K is for Kollapse. The Kmart empire is vanishing before your very eyes. According to a report in this week’s Atlanta Business Chronicle, K mart
Historic House Demolished to Create Target Parking Spaces
November 8, 2002
The Albany Times Union reports that the 164-year-old Defreest-Church House was demolished this week to make way for a Target parking lot in East Greenbush,
Stop & Shop Imitates Wal-Mart Supercenters.
November 7, 2002
Call it imitation sprawl. The Stop & Shop company, which is owned by the Dutch Royal Ahold conglomerate (the 7th. largest grocer in America), is
Small Town Story of Wal-Mart Impact on Business
November 6, 2002
Wal-Mart likes to call itself a “retail magnet” which attracts shoppers, who then spin off and help other nearby merchants. The only problem with this
Wal-Mart Fails to Impress the Korean Consumer.
November 6, 2002
John C. Clark, a professor of management at California State University, Sacramento, says his research suggests that Walmartians have not exactly overwhelmed the South Korean
Home Depot developer offers $2 M to citizens to drop case.
November 4, 2002
How much is it worth to someone to stop a Home Depot? A developer in Somerville, Massachusetts found out its worth a lot more than
Safeway Takes Big Sales Drop In Food Fight With Wal-Mart.
November 2, 2002
A Wal-Mart spokesperson was quoted October 7th. in the Trenton, NJ Times as saying “Wal-Mart believes in healthy competition and the free enterprise system that
Home Depot Spends $150,000 On November 5th. Ballot Question
November 2, 2002
On May 5, 2001, Newsflash reported that Home Depot was pushing the town of Easton, Maryland to allow its retail store to locate in a
Wal-Mart Developer Spends Big to Get Votes November 5th.
October 30, 2002
The community of Maplewood, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis, is about to vote on a massive sprawl plan that includes a 33 acre Wal-Mart
Home Depot Nailed with Racial Discrimination Lawsuit
October 28, 2002
The federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in Norfolk, Virginia has filed a racial discrimination lawsuit against the company that says it is one of
City Adopts Ordinance that Keeps Out Wal-Mart Supercenters
October 27, 2002
The World Series is wrapping up in California, but Wal-Mart is striking out in the golden state. According to the Los Angeles Times, Wal-Mart swung
County Considers Rezoning Land to keep out Wal-Mart.
October 27, 2002
On September 4, 2002, we brought you the story of Sandfly, a neighborhood in historic Savannah. Georgia that was fighting a Wal-Mart supercenter. In October,
Warehouse Clubs Soon to Reach Saturation Point.
October 26, 2002
Several media accounts recently suggest that warehouse clubs like Sam’s and Costco and BJ’s may be choking on each other, as the presence of such
Residents Fight Rezoning of “Project X” Wal-Mart Distribution Center
October 20, 2002
Anti-sprawl activists in Killingly, Connecticut are trying to kill off what they believe is a Wal-Mart Distribution Center. They filed this report: “Killingly is a
Target Pulls out of “Project Mars” Distribution Center Plan
October 18, 2002
“Project Mars” is not landing in the historic village of Montgomery, New York. The Target corporation announced on October 15, 2002 that it is abandoning
City Politics & Home Depot: No Done Deal, Say Residents.
October 15, 2002
Local residents on the Northwest side of Chicago say city politics is playing a role in the mounting pressure to accept a Home Depot in
CVS has 345 vacant stores & 3.1 million empty square feet.
October 14, 2002
CVS, the “Consumer Value Store”, could more appropriately be called the “Commonly Vacant Store”. According to Sprawl-Busters research, the drug store chain had a total
Customer Complains Wal-Mart Turns Away From Child Abuse
October 14, 2002
Here’s a story from a Wal-Mart shopper than you won’t see on any TV advertisement. Rebecca Worthington submitted this account of her recent visit to
Federal Judge Rules Wal-Mart violated labor laws.
October 13, 2002
Chalk one up for the union. A report in the Las Vegas Sun says that a federal Judge has ruled that Wal-Mart broke labor laws
Home Depot Opens Door for Chinese Goods Even Wider.
October 12, 2002
Here’s good news for American workers! Home Depot has announced in a press release this week that it will be opening two sourcing offices in
Wal-Mart & Home Depot Order More Chinese Take Out.
October 12, 2002
Our favorite big box stores are tripping over themselves in the Chinese take out line. Ordering massive amounts of Chinese goods “to go” (for export),
Home Depot Files for Smaller Store, Tries to Avoid Review
October 7, 2002
Almost nine years after Wal-Mart went down in flames, the victim of 2,354 votes not to rezone land for them, Home Depot has filed a
Target beaten at one site, but moves to another.
October 7, 2002
Residents in Bedford, New Hampshire are celebrating a victory this week over the Target megastore that was targeted for one of the worst traffic intersections
City Scares Citizens with Lawsuit, Wal-Mart Opposition Abandoned
October 4, 2002
Bristol, Tennessee Mayor Trish Bane can now declare that her city is “open for business” again, now that the $2.87 million lawsuit against 9 of
Home Depot Suspended by the Better Business Bureau.
October 4, 2002
“Good things happen when Home Depot comes to town”. That’s what Home Depot likes to remind us. But ask the Better Business Bureau (BBB) in
Wal-Mart Get’s No Red Carpet Here.
October 4, 2002
An overflow crowd of angry residents made their feelings about Wal-Mart known this week in Bakersfield, California. According to the Californian newspaper, a hearing on
Wal-Mart Finds A Partner to Break Into India
September 30, 2002
A telecommunications company in India has announced a partnership with Wal-Mart that will unleash the giant retailer throughout the Indian economy. Bharti Enterprises has signed
Target closes one store for poor sales, opens another nearby.
September 30, 2002
According to a story in the September 29th, Charlotte (NC) Observer, retail sprawl is following the lead of massive residential developments in the Charlotte, North
Residents Boycott CVS, want a grocery store instead.
September 29, 2002
Close fo 100 residents of the town of Woodstock, New York are giving the CVS drug store chain a major headache. On Saturday, a grassroots
Feds Hammer Home Depot with Another Sex Discrimination Lawsuit
September 28, 2002
Home Depot doesn’t sell clothes, but they have plenty of lawsuits available. In 1997, the federal Equal Employment Opportunities Commission (EEOC) filed the largest sex
City Sues Its Own Citizens for Speaking Out Against Sprawl
September 27, 2002
It looks like the powers that be in Bristoll, Tennessee want to teach citizens a civics lesson: speak up for your rights, and we’ll try
Nathan’s Doesn’t Cut the Mustard At Home Depot.
September 26, 2002
Home Depot, the company you associate with hammers, not hot dogs, and measuring tapes, not mustard, has abruptly terminated eight license agreements it had with
Zoning Code Caps Size of Food Sales inside Wal-Mart Superstore
September 25, 2002
Our correspondents in Martinez, California report that on September 18, 2002, the City council adopted the first Neighborhood Business Preservation Ordinance (Big Box) that restricts
Alberton’s Raises Ire of Area Residents.
September 25, 2002
Sprawl-Busters in Palmdale, California have a bone to pick with Alberton’s grocery superstore. Here’s their report:”If Albertson’s gets their way, 12,918 new vehicle trips per
Taxpayers sue City Over Rezoning Land for Wal-Mart
September 24, 2002
Taxpayers in Huber Heights, Ohio have filed a lawsuit against the City and a local developer over a rezoning of land for a proposed Wal-Mart
Planners Say They Can Stop Wal-Mart for a Second Time.
September 24, 2002
Since 1999, Sprawl-Busters has followed the efforts of Wal-Mart to get into the town of Gilbert, Arizona. Wal-Mart was defeated three years ago when it
Feds Seek Wal-Mart Contempt Charge
September 23, 2002
A report on yesterday’s Associated Press (AP) newswire says that the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has asked a federal judge in Tucson, Arizona
Planners Find Wal-Mart “excessively out of proportion”
September 23, 2002
After several months of waiting, sprawl-busters in Hood River, Oregon got their first handful of good news on September 18th. when the Hood River County’s
The Secret Life of Home Depot.
September 22, 2002
For at least the past nine months, Home Depot, and a corporate landowner on St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, have been concealing their plans to
Brits Take on Shopping Sprawl In Historic Location
September 16, 2002
Here’s a sprawl-busters story submitted by residents in the United Kingdom: “Citizens of York, England are fighting to stop the building of the Coppergate II
Wal-Mart Rejected, Not Enough Parking Spaces.
September 14, 2002
The Times Picayune of September 13th. reports that zoning officials in St. Bernard’s parish, Louisiana, have dumped a 221,000 s.f. Wal-Mart superstore proposal because of