Local washing

I‘ve recently read two wonderful articles that I wanted to share.

The first was written by Stacy Mitchell, author of Big-Box Swindle, and a senior researcher for the Institute for Local Self-Reliance. Her article is called, The Corporate Co-Opt of Local, and it’s definitely worth a read. In it, she explores the growing phenomenon of larger corporations “washing” the fact that they are non-local using deceptive tactics meant to confuse consumers. She notes that economic development organizations, chambers, and others have also begun  redefining “local” to include any business that is nearby, so as not to exclude Home Depot or McDonald’s.

The next article on the subject appeared in the Seattle Times on July 16th. It is titled, Starbucks tests new names for stores, and describes how Starbucks is renaming its stores with local-sounding names as a last-ditch effort to save some of its stores from closing.

Local washing is a growing phenomenon that is important to watch, especially since, as Stacy Mitchell notes,

It’s the best empirical evidence yet that the grassroots movement for locally produced goods and independently owned businesses is having a measurable impact on the choices people make.