For too long, public policy has rigged the market to favor big corporations and undermine small, locally owned businesses, especially those launched by women and...
Small businesses have been in steep decline. In this report, we argue that anticompetitive behavior by large, dominant corporations is largely to blame and present...
For the first time in 28 years, the Democratic Party platform calls for vigorous, stepped-up enforcement of our anti-monopoly laws. This remarkable shift in policy...
Listen to ILSR’s Stacy Mitchell in a recent episode of the Strong Towns podcast, where she speaks about the origins of the big-box store, how...
As the cost of leasing commercial space soars in many U.S. cities, this report examines what’s behind the skyrocketing rents and explores six broad policy...
The cost of leasing commercial space is soaring in many cities, threatening the future of independent businesses, finds a report released today from the Institute...
ILSR’s Stacy Mitchell spoke about a strategy to rein in Amazon’s expanding market power in this presentation at the 2016 Winter Institute. The annual conference...
ILSR’s Stacy Mitchell spoke about policy to shape the next phase of the local economy movement in this presentation at the 2016 Winter Institute. The...
All great retail empires eventually fall. A&P did. So did Montgomery Ward. But Walmart’s recent announcement that it would close 269 stores may not be...
The 2016 Independent Business Survey finds that independent businesses experienced brisk sales and a sharp increase in hiring in 2015, but that biased policies and...
Recent findings from prominent economists, sociologists, and other researchers suggest that small, local businesses are critical to overcoming many of our biggest challenges, from reducing...
Contact: Rebecca Toews Rebecca@ILSR.org 612-808-0689 Amid the hype of online and big-box shopping this weekend, it’s easy to overlook the growing popularity of independent...
Recent years have been record ones for mergers and acquisitions. While much of this concentration is invisible to most of us, its effects ripple throughout...
Contact: Rebecca Toews Rebecca@ILSR.org 612-808-0689 Ten years after pledging to become an environmental leader, Walmart still relies heavily on dirty energy and derives just 3%...
Amazon is rapidly expanding its online empire, but behind the conveniences that the company offers are a lot of hidden costs. … Read More