Big Box Swindle:
The True Cost of Mega-Retailers and the Fight for America’s Independent Businesses
by Stacy Mitchell
HF5468 .M58 2006
New Book Island, 2nd floor
After reading the Royal Purple about local coffeehouses being unaffected by McD’s and separately having a conversation about Starbucks taking over the world with the Sweet Spot baristas, I thought that this week’s featured book was appropriate.
America loves convenience – going to the store to get everything they need in one stop, using the drive-thru to get their fix of caffeine or grease, ordering movies online and delivered right to your door. Convenience is fantastic, but does it come at a price? True – you pay for it, but are you the only one affected? Mitchell, a senior researcher with the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, contends that these mega-retailers and chain stores do more harm than good. These large corporations steer customers away from local independent businesses, taking away revenues necessary to stay afloat and funds out of the local economy. As a strong proponent of small business, Mitchell provides an excellent and well-researched argument in the debate of “Does bigger mean better?”
Along the same lines, we also just received The Local Economic Impact of Wal-Mart (HF5465 .U64 W354 2007) by Michael Hicks, conveniently shelved right next to Big Box Swindle on the New Book Island.
