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FACTSHEETS

• How Big is Too Big? – Visual illustration of different store sizes, ranging from Main Street retailers to supercenters. Download as a one-page flyer for distribution.
  
  
• Wal-Mart's Impact on Police Costs
  Many cities and towns across the country are reporting that big-box retailers are generating large numbers of police calls—far more than local businesses do—and costing local taxpayers a fortune.
  
  
• What Studies Show about Wal-Mart and Big-Box Retail
  Our recently expanded list of studies that examine such questions as: Does Wal-Mart create jobs? Do big-box stores boost the tax base? Do independent stores benefit the local economy more than chains? Organized by category, with summaries and links. [also in PDF format]
  
  
• Why Support Locally Owned Businesses? – Our top ten reasons why locally owned businesses are critical to your community's well-being and economic vitality. Download as a one-page flyer for distribution.
  
  
• Also see fact sheets from ILSR's Big Box Tool Kit
  • Big-Box Blight: The Spread of Dark Stores
    A growing number of towns are inundated with chronically vacant big-box stores and shopping centers. Here's how to prevent big-box blight in your community.
  • How Big is Too Big?
    Help people visualize and understand just how big these stores are and how their size affects the community and local economy.
  • How to Launch a Community-Owned Store
    Citizens in a number of towns have formed community corporations, raised capital through local stock issues, and opened their own department stores.
  • How to Start a Buy Local Campaign
    Buy local campaigns are changing people's shopping habits in cities across the country. Learn how to launch one in your community.
  • Impact of Big-Box Stores on Traffic
    A 200,000- square-foot superstore typically generates more than 10,000 car trips on weekdays and more on Saturdays.
  • Impact of Big-Box Stores on Existing Jobs
    Despite substantial evidence that big-box stores reduce employment and lower wages, many local officials still believe these stores are job creators. Set the record straight.
  • Locally Owned vs. Chain: The Local Premium
    While dollars spent at locally owned stores stimulate the local economy, dollars spent at chains are siphoned out of the community.
  • Key Studies on Big-Box Retail
    Concise summaries of the best available research on the impact of these stores on jobs, wages, local businesses, taxes, and more.
  • Toxic Runoff: How Big-Box Stores Pollute Lakes and Streams
    Polluted storm water runoff from big-box parking lots is a major threat to lakes, streams, and estuaries.

MAPS

Number of Persons per Wal-Mart Store
See which states have the greatest number of stores relative to population.

Wal-Mart Square Footage per Person
See which states have the greatest expanse of Wal-Mart stores relative to population.

Vacant Wal-Mart Stores
Wal-Mart had 246 vacant or soon-to-be-vacant stores as of June 2007.