Meatstick Book Review: Big Box Swindle

Big Box Swindle: The True Cost of Mega-Retailers and the Fight for Americas Independent Businesses
by Stacy Mitchell

Stacy Mitchell hates Wal-Mart. But she doesn't stop there, she also hates: Starbucks, Target, Costco, Lowe's, Home Depot, Best Buy, Circuit City, Borders, Barnes and Noble, Hollywood Video, Blockbuster, and pretty much every other chain that has 9 stores off of every highway exit in America. Her main premise is that big box stores are bad for any town b/c they are actually worse for a town than any benefit they may bring. Her arguments include the fact that city councils often give these big box stores huge tax breaks to build in their city but the city never really sees the benefit of the store b/c the majority of the money the store makes gets shipped back to corporate headquarters and is never recycled in the community among the local mom and pop stores. Also, the big box stores are promised tax breaks that are not afforded the local, small businesses which creates uneven competition that the local stores can't keep up with. She also has plenty of examples of how the big box stores are terrible for the environment; whether it be in the form of air pollution from the store and the thousands of cars that drive to them every day or by building 15 acre parking lots on top of wetlands and other environmentally sensitive areas. The other beef she has with big box stores are the common thing that most people see on a daily basis; like terrible customer service, horrible return policies, and a general lack of knowledge from the workers about the products they are selling.
What I really liked about the book is that she doesn't just bitch and moan about big box stores and not give the reader any hope or suggestions of her own. She actually spends the last 25% of the book explaining how small towns have risen up and beaten the big box stores using a variety of methods.
I really liked the book and have begun to make a concious effort to support local businesses whenever I can. It's really hard for people to get away from the big box stores but it can be done if you are willing to pay a little bit more (not much though, you would be suprised how much big box stores make you think you are paying a lot less when most of the time you aren't) and search out the local businesses in your area. I know I feel kind of dirty when I go into big box stores from now on.
Two ironic experiences I had when buying this book: 1) I bought it at a big box Barnes and Noble and 2) The guy at the store said the author was in that very Barnes and Noble a week before giving a lecture about the book and the impacts big boxes are having in America (see EDIT at bottom). I thought it was funny Barnes and Noble was dumb enough to have the lady come in and basically bash their way of doing business. Which also proves her point that the big box stores have no idea what they are selling.

EDIT: Stacy Mitchell, the author, left me a comment to let me know that she has never been part of an author appearance at a Barnes and Noble as I stated at the end of my post. I could have sworn the guy at the store told me she was there but I am obviously taking her word over his! I would like to thank Stacy for pointing this out and I look forward to reading any books she writes in the future. Also, I bought two books this week. I purchased both of them at the local, independent Elliot Bay Book Company here in Seattle. Check them out, they deliver! Elliot Bay Book Company